Social Housing in Vienna: Is it as good as it seems?

More than half of Vienna's 1.9 million residents live in some form of subsidised housing. 

Vienna's reputation as a beacon of social housing excellence is widely considered well-deserved; the city council owns, co-owns and manages some 50 per cent of the city's residential real estate through an array of social schemes, these initiatives have made rents affordable for tens of thousands of households.

This decades-old tradition, which began in the 1920s, has contributed to the city's status as the world's most liveable city. But is the system as perfect and idyllic as it seems?

Recent developments have raised concerns; critics point to rising rent prices, ever-increasing waiting lists, a diminishing share of social housing in the real estate market after a long period of low-interest rates, and subsequent increases in private property ownership.

Euronews reporter Julian Lopez travelled to Austria's capital for Euronews Witness to see what's behind the facade.

Administrative assistant Tesbire Keskin gave Euronews a tour of her 70 m2 apartment where she has lived with her family for almost 20 years. She pays €500 per month and enjoys a quality of life beyond market standards in her centrally-located flat. "The kindergarten is right opposite me, the school is a ten-minute walk. In two minutes, I'm at the underground," she explained.

"When my children were small and I couldn't get home from work, the neighbours picked them up from kindergarten. It's very nice here; it is green, quiet. I'm very happy, satisfied."

Representatives from the city council also showed Euronews around some of Vienna's oldest social buildings. Unlike Berlin and other European cities with high rates of private landownership, the former capital of the vast