Presentation given by Renate Kitzman, Volkshilfe Wien (AT) at the 2013 FEANTSA conference, "Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation: policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness" http://feantsa.org/spip.php?article1596&lang=en

1. FAWOS Centre for Secure Tenancy
A cooperation between NGO People´s Aid Vienna and the Municipality of Vienna to avoid homelessness.
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

2. political situation in Vienna
Mayor of Vienna: Dr. Michael Häupl – social-democratic-party
Governing coalition: social-democratic- party (44,34%) and green-party (12,64%)
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

3. inhabitants in Vienna
1,727.330 inhabitants – 898.343 women and 828.987 men
Age 0-18: 314.345
175.300 families with 312.000 children (Ø 1.78 children per household) and of these 49.900 single parents
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

4. housing stock in Vienna
910.000 dwellings:
220.000 owned by the Municipality of Vienna
530.000 owned by private enterprises or people
160.000 cooperative flats
average flat size: 71m²
average monthly rent: € 422
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

5. under the responsibility of FAWOS are …..
… all inhabitants of flats not owned by the municipality of vienna….
 with an action of eviction or
 a date of eviction or
 with problems paying their rent and not receiving social welfare
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

6. access
§33a law of tenancy: district courts have to inform the municipality of vienna about actions of eviction
FAWOS gets these informations and all dates of eviction from the court
FAWOS contacts all people concerned
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

7. access
reaction to the FAWOS-letters – about 30% of people concerned contact FAWOS
transfer from other social institutions, lawyers, neighbours,….
public campaigns
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

8. information, counseling
social workers provide counseling
information on the law governing tenancy
information on the right to claim benefits
individual financial plan
assistance in negotiations with landlords
cooperation and transfer to other social institutions
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

9. numbers of clients 2012
1.484 persons advised by phone
1.002 persons counseled in our office
 404 families (40,32%) and of these
153 single parents
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

10. numbers of clients 2012
262 households got money from social welfare to pay their rent debts
 118 families (45%)
 Average sum: € 2.219,07 per houshold
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

11. innovation in prevention
lowering the rent
5% of clients need a laywer to controll the amount of rent
70% live in overpriced flats
a large part of existing rent depths can be covered by already paid overpriced rents
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

12. securing the flat
if people endangerd by a date of eviction contact FAWOS in time, then
75 to 80 percent can be helped
 some by lowering the rent
 other by paying for their rent depths
 and a lot by helping them to ask for benefits and use own ressources
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

13. results (%)
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic 767878807781797874877365707580859020022003200420052006200720082009201020112012

14. cost - benefit - analysis
reintegration: EUR 600.- per month/person
average lengths of stay is 12 months ( EUR 7.200 per person for 12 month)
prevention: EUR 600.- per person
that makes reintegration 12 times more expensive than prevention
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

15. future plans
the city of Vienna has an political agreement to enlarge the offer of prevention
concept for young people (up to 27 years old) which would be evicted, to supervise them in their own flat until (6 to 9 months) they manage again living self-dependent
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic

16. Thank you for listening!
Renate U. Kitzman
renate.kitzman@volkshilfe-wien.at
Investing in young people to prevent a lost generation in Europe: key policy and practice in addressing youth homelessness
8th November 2013, Prague, Czech Republic