Geht die KPÖ die Wohnraumpolitik besser an?

The article “Geht die KPÖ die Wohnraumpolitik besser an?” is a news‑feature published by Wirtschaftsnachrichten, a regional economic newspaper covering southern Austria. It is authored by Stefan Rothbart, a journalist specialised in municipal and housing economics. The piece examines a recent audit by the municipal control office on “Wohnen Graz”, the city‑owned housing corporation in Graz, and evaluates the performance of the KPÖ‑led municipal government in managing public housing.

The audit reveals that Wohnen Graz accumulated a loss of €10.7 million in 2024, with projected deficits of €750 000 for 2025. Revenue shortfalls from politically low rents exceeded €2 million in 2024, while vacancy costs reached €1.1 million and rent arrears amounted to €1.2 million, of which only about €0.2 million is expected to be recoverable. Since 2021, losses have more than quadrupled, and the corporation relies heavily on overdrafts and cash‑pooling arrangements that indirectly affect the city’s overall finances.

Wohnen Graz manages roughly 11 000 municipal apartments. Approximately 40 % are owned outright by the city, while the remainder are allocated through a transfer‑housing right system. The corporation was established on 1 January 2015, transferring historic city assets to a separate legal entity to shield municipal debt from the housing operation’s liabilities.

The audit highlights a sharp rise in vacant units and delayed turnover between tenants. In 2024, vacancy‑related costs rose to €1.1 million, and the number of lease terminations outpaced new allocations by about 400 between 2017 and 2024. Maintenance delays, partly due to missed penalty clauses with contractors, have exacerbated vacancy periods and increased operating costs.

Net asset value, measured by the net‑asset ratio, fell from 55 % in 2015 to 39 % in 2024 – a 16 percentage‑point reduction. The audit notes that large‑scale construction projects have suffered from cost overruns, such as a 68 % increase in the budget for a redevelopment initiated in 2017 and resumed in 2024.

The report underscores that the KPÖ, which assumed mayoral leadership in 2021, presides over the escalating deficits and structural weaknesses. While KPÖ officials argue that the housing corporation’s mandate is social rather than profit‑oriented, the audit points out the absence of a long‑term financial strategy and the reliance on city‑wide cash flows to cover losses.

The article concludes that without corrective measures—such as a coherent investment plan, stricter procurement controls, and balanced rent policies—Wohnen Graz may be unable to sustain affordable housing provision. The situation poses a risk to broader sustainable housing goals in Graz and serves as a cautionary case for other European municipalities seeking to balance social housing objectives with fiscal responsibility.