Image: APA/Helmut Fohringer
According to a recent study, every second Austrian feels the current housing costs are a burden. In April, an 8.6 percent increase in benchmark rents is planned nationwide.
At least in the apartments in the city of Wels, whose rents are linked to the guideline rent, the increase in rent could be significantly lower: Stadt-FP proposes increasing rents in the apartments concerned by only three percent. How many of the 114 apartments owned by the city is being surveyed. In addition, Mayor Andreas Rabl, Social Councilor Deputy Mayor Christa Raggl-Mühlberger and Housing Councilor Ralph Schäfer (all three FP) propose a one-off rent subsidy of 200 euros.
Funds from the support package
One-person households with a net income of up to 1800 euros would be entitled to claim, for couple households the limit is 2600 euros. These limits increase by 120 euros per child. The funds for this are to come from the aid package decided by the city in the fall. Of the 2.3 million euros decided at the time, only around 700,000 euros were used. “I believe that we have a responsibility to use the funds that have been set aside for social purposes for those who need them,” says Rabl. The limits are set relatively high in order to relieve the burden on medium-sized companies.
If the proposal gets a majority in the municipal council, those Welsers who have already taken advantage of the support package would also be entitled to claim. In general, Austrian citizens, EU and EEA citizens who have lived in Wels for at least one year, and third-country nationals who have had their main residence in Wels for ten years are entitled to claim. Based on the total number of rental apartments in Wels, 16,949 apartments according to the apartment register, and the experience of the support package, the city assumes around 8,000 applications.
An application could be made from April 18th to June 15th, provided that the FP’s proposal is already decided at the next municipal council meeting.
Source: Nachrichten
