Vienna's expansive protected-housing system shields most residents from evictions

In Vienna, a comprehensive protected-housing scheme supplies affordable, long-term rentals to about 60% of the city's two-million residents, with eligibility extending beyond low-income households. The system combines municipal units and cooperative buildings, offering rent-controlled units without deposits and inheritance rights. Evictions are rare, limited to clear cases of fraud or serious tenant violations.

International media and scholars highlight the model as a benchmark, while local politics show the ruling SPÖ losing electoral ground and the far-right FPÖ gaining strength. Critics warn that rising construction costs and population growth could strain the supply, prompting calls to preserve the public-housing stock. Nonetheless, officials stress that the extensive public sector still enables Vienna to meet housing demand better than many peer cities.