How Vienna Keeps Housing Affordable for Half Its Population

Vienna operates a century-old social housing model that provides affordable homes to roughly half of the city's residents. Unlike many systems that target only the poor, it includes middle-income earners, helping prevent social segregation. Tenants benefit from long-term open-ended contracts and are not required to pay upfront deposits. The city retains public ownership of housing stock and continues to expand supply to meet demand. This approach is widely regarded as a benchmark for sustainable urban housing policy.