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In addition, the city gives the developer a loan with favorable terms such as low interest rates and extended repayment periods. 2 After the jury selects a developer, the city sells the land to the developer at an affordable price. A jury evaluates these proposals based on four criteria: architectural quality, environmental performance, social sustainability, and economic parameters such as proposed rent levels and costs. The city then solicits proposals from various private developers, which will build and retain ownership of the housing units. The city buys land deemed suitable for residential development and retains control over the type and nature of development.
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Vienna adopted the latter approach in the 1980s, when it decided to collaborate with the private sector to build affordable housing rather than developing and owning more public housing. The city also indirectly controls 200,000 units that are built and owned by limited-profit private developers but developed through a city-regulated process. 1 These city-owned housing units, called social housing, are meant primarily for lower-income residents. Lindstrom explained that Vienna’s city government owns and manages 220,000 housing units, which represent about 25 percent of the city’s housing stock. The November discussion in Montgomery County, Maryland was led by Pamela Lindstrom, commissioner of the Housing Opportunities Commission. Vienna remains committed to this cause to this day. Vienna’s legacy of giving high priority to providing high-quality housing for the working class dates back to the “Red Vienna” period of the early 20th century, when the majority socialist government made providing quality affordable housing for city residents a priority. A comparative study of social housing programs in European nations finds that they vary substantially - in their histories of origin, who they serve, where housing is located, the physical nature of the housing stock, the means of financing new housing, and even how their housing subsidies work. The term social housing is used extensively in Europe to refer to government-owned or regulated affordable housing. More recently, on November 12, 2013, the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, Maryland and the Montgomery Housing Partnership hosted a discussion about this remarkable social housing program. The model showcases the innovation, creativity, and freshness of design with which well-known architects, working with different private sector developers, have helped to shape Vienna’s affordable housing. working to improve the quality and accessibility of affordable housing for American families. The Vienna model was recently the subject of an exhibit in New York City hosted by the Austrian Cultural Forum that generated substantial interest among those in the U.S. In practice for nearly a century, Vienna’s social housing system is known as an effective and innovative model for providing superior, affordable housing to the city’s residents.
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The city of Vienna, Austria, famous for its rich cultural and architectural heritage, is also recognized for its unique social housing program. Image courtesy of Pamela Lindstrom, Commissioner of the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, Maryland. The Kabelwerk social housing project includes 1,004 housing units and wonderful amenities for the residents.