Inflow continues

Austria’s largest village wants to grow only moderately

Head of the municipality Andreas Hasenöhrl at the Eichetwald construction project.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

The number of residents in Wals-Siezenheim is increasing by more than 100 people per year. 270 are already on the housing list.

Wals-Siezenheim already has more than 14,300 inhabitants. Austria's largest village wants to remain rural and only grow cautiously through new arrivals. "In recent years, our number of residents has increased by 100 to 120 people a year. That's still healthy, we don't want any more," says ÖVP mayor Andreas Hasenöhrl.

Near the Gasthof Laschensky, one of the major residential construction projects is about to celebrate the topping-out ceremony. 22 subsidized rental apartments and 20 "assisted living apartments" are being built here. The "subsidized" apartments are in high demand. Requests are no longer being accepted for the project. The contracts will be awarded in November. In Grenzstraße near Walserberg, the municipality also awarded 16 such rental apartments this year.

270 people are on the housing list. Many of them simply want a different, better apartment, Hasenöhrl admits. Some thought the municipality was a real estate agency. The housing pressure is therefore not as great as the waiting list suggests.