The Embassy of Austria highlights this year’s edition of the construction fair REBUILD, from 23 to 25 April at the IFEMA Fairgrounds, which will focus on Austria as a guest country. Over the course of three days, Austrian experts in housing construction will present lectures and round tables on topics as topical as sustainable architecture and social housing.
Austria stands out as a benchmark in housing and habitability policies, especially in its capital, Vienna, which has been recognized for the third consecutive year as the city with the highest quality of life in the world, according to the habitability index of the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Vienna’s success lies in its public housing model, where more than 60% of the inhabitants live in apartments owned or subsidized by the city council, ensuring access to affordable housing. In addition, the quality of the real estate offer in Austria is not only focused on quantity but also on excellence, demanding high standards in energy efficiency, materials and common areas in protected housing.
This holistic approach has allowed the country to maintain relatively low rental prices compared with other major European cities, such as London, Dublin or Barcelona. Austria’s experience in this field extends to other cities such as Graz or Salzburg, consolidating its leadership in the creation of quality public housing.
The Austrian model is also characterized by a balance between public and private housing supply, with the public sector being the main driver of construction. With about one in four homes in the country being public, Austria ranks as one of the countries with the highest proportion of state-owned housing in Europe, only behind the Netherlands.
This approach has allowed the real estate market to maintain a level of accessibility without sacrificing the quality of construction. In addition, working with non-profit cooperatives to develop affordable housing has been instrumental in ensuring that diverse segments of the population can access decent homes, not only vulnerable people but also professionals and middle-class families. This model of sustainable development has made Austria a benchmark for other countries interested in improving the quality of urban life and ensuring affordable housing for all.
In addition, thanks to the support of the Foro Cultural de Austria, an exhibition will be presented by the City of Vienna on the history and current design of the world-famous Viennese model of social housing. This model has been instrumental in establishing Vienna as one of the world’s cities with the highest quality of life and ensuring affordable housing for its citizens. More information is available at this link.
