The Vienna Social Fund (FSW) will establish around 1,000 additional emergency accommodation and care places for homeless individuals this winter, in partnership with seven organisations.
This expansion will supplement the existing 7,000 places, according to a statement from the FSW. Last year, 12,750 people utilised these services, and the City of Vienna has invested approximately €142 million in the programme to date.
Thirteen emergency shelters and three warming rooms will operate around the clock across nine districts in Vienna, from October 29 to April 29 next year. The 24-hour emergency shelters will provide not only overnight accommodation but also daytime stays, while the warming centres will have the capacity for 255 people at any one time.
Additionally, 40 places will be reserved specifically for families, a capacity that was expanded last year in response to rising demand. The free cold app is being reactivated, allowing anyone who encounters a homeless person to alert street social workers via mobile phone, who will then provide assistance on site.
The projected costs for the 2024/25 ‘winter package’ are around €15.5 million.
“With its annual winter package, the FSW offers a wide range of services for particularly vulnerable people in our city. This ensures that nobody in Vienna has to spend the night on the street due to a lack of shelter, even during the cold season,” emphasised Peter Hacker, City Councillor for Social Affairs. FSW Managing Director Susanne Winkler noted that this is the 15th year the fund has implemented the winter package. “This is only possible thanks to a clear commitment from city politicians and strong cooperation with our partner organisations.”
In a press release, the Vienna branch of the Green Party reiterated its call for all emergency accommodation to be open year-round. “Nobody should have to sleep on the streets in Vienna anymore,” said social spokesperson Viktoria Spielmann, highlighting that the issue is becoming increasingly prevalent, partly due to the rising number of evictions.