Outrage has erupted in Vienna after it emerged that 1,618 municipal apartments were allocated to refugees in 2024, while many local families remain stuck on waiting lists for years.
The controversy centers on so-called “pool apartments,” which are not distributed through the city’s official housing ticket system but handed directly to NGOs and social organizations. Refugees can move in immediately and, after just two years of residence, take permanent possession of the flats. Critics call it a “two-tier system” that disadvantages Viennese families.
Mayor Michael Ludwig of the ruling Social Democrats (SPÖ) admitted that the city does not know how many of these NGO apartments are currently occupied by refugees.
FPÖ leader Maximilian Krauss condemned the policy as a “squandering of social housing on foreigners,” arguing that municipal housing should be reserved for Austrians. The party also says single parents still face major obstacles in securing affordable homes.
