Authorities powerless

Homeless woman has been living in station for four years

There has been no room for public transport passengers at this stop for years.(Bild: Viktoria Graf)

A woman has taken the streetcar station at Vienna Westbahnhof as her "home". Wiener Linien and other authorities have their hands tied as it is a public space.

A homeless woman has been living in a streetcar stop at Westbahnhof for more than four years. She spends day and night there in the heat and cold, with her belongings, including potted plants, lined up next to her.

At least two other homeless people are now also sleeping in the same tram stop.

Offering support
"How can something like this be," ask passers-by and passengers. Can anyone now choose a park bench or a house entrance as a place to stay? Wiener Linien is aware of the situation and, together with the police and aid organizations, is trying to support the woman.

Public space for everyone
Caritas is in regular contact with the homeless woman, and street workers and doctors from the Gruft regularly look after her. It is not possible to expel her from the site, as the public space is available to everyone, they say. "It often takes time for homeless people to accept support and move into accommodation," says Caritas Managing Director Klaus Schwertner.