Vienna Social Housing Field Study Overview
International best practices in mixed-income housing
This course is designed to give California’s local and regional housing policymakers, practitioners, and leaders insight into international best practices in affordable housing. The Vienna Social Housing Academy takes a deep dive into Vienna’s Social Housing Model to understand the forces that have shaped Vienna’s unique approach to housing and evaluate how it compares to California’s affordable housing system.
Participants will learn about the housing ecosystem in Vienna, from urban planning, design, consultant selection, construction, financing, government land management, and subsidies to newer strategies for environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
Photo credit: © XYZ
This program will also take a close look at how Vienna approaches community engagement, transit-oriented development, the growing need for deeper affordability, and inclusion of housing options for diverse populations, including single parents, seniors, newly arrived refugees, and people experiencing homelessness.
Program participants will learn from and engage with leading Viennese architects, urban planners, housing developers, public sector, and community leaders to learn firsthand about Vienna’s housing policies and practices. Participants will attend exhibits, lectures, walking tours, and participate in group learning activities.
Why Vienna?
Vienna, Austria is considered one of the most livable and affordable cities in the world. In the 1920s, the City of Vienna began a pioneering social housing program in response to rapid rent escalation, overcrowding, and widespread housing insecurity that emerged after World War I.
One hundred years ago, 10% of Viennese residents were living in squalid conditions. Today, 62% of Vienna’s 1.7 million households live in high quality affordable housing, spending a fraction of the cost that the average California household spends on housing.
Who Is This Experience For?
Join our curated cohort on this enlightening and information-packed field study in Vienna, Austria. Our intensive curriculum is ideal for:
- Local, regional, and state housing policy leaders
- Community planning professionals
- Community resiliency and sustainability professionals
- Corporate decisionmakers
- Non-profit changemakers
- Higher-education faculty and leadership
- Select media representatives
Looking to send a group from your organization?
GPLA encourages the participation of cities, professional organizations, and community groups who want to study the Vienna Social Housing Model as a group. We will work with Community Sponsors to develop a recruitment plan for a diversity of participants and will create specialized learning opportunities for groups of 5 or more people.
For information about Community Sponsorships, please contact Kori Fronda at [email protected] or (619) 236-0632.
