Enquete Women.Housing.Vienna.
Thursday, 24. October 2019 | 10:00 am – 02:00 pm
Urania | Dachsaal | Uraniastraße 1, 1010 Vienna


The Enquete "Women.Housing.Vienna", on 24th of Stepember 2019 organised by the Vienna Housing Research Department linked for the first time the issus of the departments housing, housing construction, urban renewal and women. Various approaches and experiences on social housing which are in line with women´s interests were preseneted.

Along six studies the current housing situation of women in Vienna, as well as findings on already existing soical housing plans in line with women´s interests and new project approaches were discusessed.

The Enquete was opened with a short film based on interviews with experts and planning approaches which meet women´s needs in the municipal building from the periode of the "Red Vienna" to the present day.

In two podium discussions with initiators, residents, planners of housing projects for women and experts from the city administration, aspects of future planning and course-setting in the design of social housing were discussed.

An accompanying exhibition showed award-winning projects under the motto „Women & Housing“

The housing situation of women in Vienna

Due to the still low income of women (gender pay gap) they are dependent on affordable housing. Strengthened by social and demographic changes such as the higher number of single and single-parent households. Moreover, due to their social role assignments, women have different needs in residential areas, since support functions for housework and family work still play a major role for them.

Around 774.000 women (older than 19 years) have their main residence in Vienna. Of these, about 582.000 (75%) are registered in rental apartments. About 210.000 (27%) of them are the only adult living in the household.

Of these, 43.000 women in Vienna live as single parent with one or more children in one household. The net monthly disposable income in households with women as the only adult is about 1.680 Euros.

Half of the single parents have to reckon with a burden rate (share of housing expenditure in the net household income) of more than 27%; the most burdened women's households is confronted with a burden quota of more than 38%.

Around two out of three (63%) women which are confrontet with a high burden rate are accommodated in municipal or subsidised housing; among women aged 60+ and single parents the figure is as high as 72%.

The municipal housing supply is particularly important for single women (rented flat/"only" adult) who have at their disposal less than 1.850 Euros net income per month. 60% of all single parents live in a municipal or subsidised flat. For the group of women "60+" this share is even 65%.

Social housing encouraging women's interests

Since the existence of municipal housing in Vienna, female political achievements have been closely linked to the further development of social housing in Vienna. Already in the communal housing of the "Red Vienna" relieving women of household and family work were documented.

For example the Frauenwerkstatt 1 in Donaufelderstraße is considered to be Europe's largest social housing complex which are in line with the interest of women needs in subsidised housing.

The residents of these and other housing projects built under special aspects of women-friendly planning were interviewed in a study by the UrbanPlus Institute together with SORA. The results were presented at the Enquete by Christine Droste.

Another study is dedicated to the special needs of single parents. Here the association JUNO together with the polling institute Gallup investigated the housing situation of single parents in Vienna and the interest in new forms of housing, such as mutually suppoirting communal living.

The architect Gabu Heindl, presented in her lecture " Aufbrechen Ankommen – Wohnungsangebote für Frauen an Lebensschnittstellen", a prototypfe of social housing which supports especially women in difficult phases of life such as separation, change of residence, loss of partner. Her considerations are based on workshops and interviews with Viennese support organisations and affected women.

Sabina Riß/IIBW focuses in her study on the significance of women in the Vienna housing industry as it is on of the most importent employers in Vienna. The central question how he housing industry helps in the inclusion of women in the labour market.

As a landscape architect, Karin Standler made the aspects of women-specific features in the quarter level of the green and open space the subject of her lecture. She thus embarks on a time travel through the open spaces of the last 100 years and their significance for subsidized housing and for their inhabitants, different phases of life and situations. After all, the strongest user groups in open space are children, young people and women.