Luxury instead of affordability?

Hope for residents of the Eisenbahner estate

The housing estate near the train station is to be demolished in the coming years.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

Will living in Weiserstrasse remain affordable for existing residents and future tenants? Promised talks between city politicians and the real estate company have already taken place. The owner has been given a target ...

Around 30 people still live in the estate built for railroad workers near Salzburg's main railway station. Aged, but a home for young and old. If the owner, the former non-profit EBS housing company from Linz, has its way, the complex will be rebuilt.

Luxury instead of affordable housing was the plan. The last tenants were to leave. Alternatives for the open-ended rental contracts were unacceptable to those affected - the "Krone" reported several times.

Remaining residents turned to city deputy Dankl(Bild: Josh McGregor)

City Deputy Mayor Kay-Michael Dankl (KPÖ Plus) spoke to the residents several times, most recently assuring them that they would not have to move out without further ado. Together with City Councillor for Planning Anna Schiester (Greens), initial talks were held with the Linz real estate company.

The priority is to find an acceptable solution for the tenants. The city is trying to anchor the subsidized share in the property for the future new building. "A solution and permanently affordable housing is a basic requirement for every project," says Dankl. "In Salzburg, the capital of the housing shortage, this should be clear to every real estate company."

Schiester takes a similar view. She emphasizes: "The company in Linz now needs to do some soul-searching and see how affordable living space can be created there."