Vienna announces 1.37 billion euro municipal housing renovation plan

Wiener Wohnen has announced a 1.37 billion euro investment program to modernize approximately 100 municipal housing complexes in Vienna. The initiative aims to improve living standards, increase energy efficiency, and ensure long-term structural stability for the city's 220,000 social housing units. According to Housing Councilor Elke Hanel-Torsch, the program focuses on thermal insulation, modern technology, and barrier-free access to reduce energy costs and improve quality of life.

However, the Green Party in Vienna has criticized the pace of these efforts. Georg Prack, spokesperson for the Greens, stated that there is a massive renovation backlog and that the city government is failing to meet its own decarbonization goals. Prack noted that to clear the backlog by 2040, more than 10,000 apartments would need to be renovated annually, whereas current rates are significantly lower. The Greens also highlighted a lack of renewable energy infrastructure, citing a low number of photovoltaic and heat pump installations across the city's housing stock.