Viennese system maintainer: Living is becoming an impossible luxury!

Viennese system maintainer: Living is becoming an impossible luxury!

In the colorful metropolis of Vienna, the demand for affordable housing is becoming louder and louder, especially among those who are essential to the city's well-being. Professions such as nursing staff, social workers, kindergarten teachers, police officers and plumbers are in high demand, but many of these system maintainers are faced with an unpleasant reality: they can often no longer afford to live in Vienna. Comprehensive research by the Urban Journalism Network, ORF and the Wiener Zeitung makes it clear that living on the free market is hardly affordable for these professional groups. [Dunav]. But the situation on the private housing market looks completely different.

While prices are rising sharply in many districts of Vienna, a 50 square meter apartment is becoming a luxury item for many of these important professional groups. “Who can afford Vienna anymore?” is rightly asked when even the people who support the city can no longer live in the city. People in systemically important professions are often faced with the paradoxical situation of being needed but not welcome in the city center. Long waiting lists for municipal housing are the order of the day, and cooperative apartments are hardly accessible without your own funds.

Affordability under pressure

How is this pressure on the housing market reflected in the numbers? According to the market report from Engel & Völkers, the market shows stability despite challenging economic conditions. The average price per square meter for condominiums was 6,100 euros in the second quarter of 2024 - a decrease compared to 6,310 euros in the previous year. However, particularly high-priced locations remain stable, with prices between EUR 6,300/m² and EUR 22,500/m² in districts 1, 8 and 9. Many people are wondering whether they can still afford an apartment in this price spiral.

The prices for single and two-family homes have fallen to an average of 750,000 euros, which was 842,000 euros in the previous year. Nevertheless, the luxury segment remains largely unaffected, where price increases are particularly noticeable in the first district as well as in Hietzing and Döbling. This reinforces the gap between the needs of society and the realities of the market.

Commuting and quality of life

More and more employees in systemically important professions are forced to commute from the surrounding area, which drastically affects the quality of life. Those who care for social well-being often have to travel long distances just to spend a day in the city. The central question remains: How can Vienna be attractive and affordable for the people who fight every day for the well-being of the city?

At a time when the city is more dependent than ever on its system-preserving professions, a clear message emerges: It is high time to find solutions to make housing actually affordable for all those who work for society. Developments on the housing market give rise to a lot of discussion. What remains is the hope that positive changes will soon emerge.