WOHNSCHIRM: For safe living conditions.

• You have rental debts, and
• you are unable to pay them.
• Your main residence is in Austria..

Please contact a counselling center in your area and make an appointment. All requirements will be discussed with you in a personal consultation. Both the consultation and the application process are free of charge.

During the consultation, your financial situation will be assessed:

• What are your housing costs?
• What ist the total amount of your rent debts?
• How much money do you have available each month?

The consultation will also address:

• If WOHNSCHIRM can cover your rent debts?
• Or if WOHNSCHIRM can provide financial assistance to move into a more affordable appartment?

In some cases, consultations can be offered in other languages. Please contact a counselling center in your area for more information.

Please bring important documents related to your housing situation and income, such as:

• Identification (e.g. driver’s license, ID card, passport)
• Proof of income for all household members (e.g. pay slips)
• Registration form
• Rental agreement
• Letters or emails from your landlord or landlady, the court, or a lawyer. These should show the amount of rental debt.

WOHNSCHIRM MIETE provides financial assistance with rental debts.
This support may also cover:

• Court fees
• Late payment charges
• Operating costs, if billed through your landlord or landlady

The following costs are not covered:

• Debts incurred to pay the rent (e.g., loans from the bank or debts to family members)

Outstanding rental payments will be transferred directly to your landlord or landlady. Support for moving costs will be transferred directly to you.

Currently, many people are applying for WOHNSCHIRM support. As a result, processing times may be longer than usual. Your application will be processed in any case.

If you receive a termination notice, eviction lawsuit, or scheduled eviction date while waiting, please reach out to a counselling center near you. In this case you application can be processed faster.

Both you and your counselling center will be informed in writing about the outcome of your application, whether it is approved or denied.

Has your landlord or landlady given notice to end your tenancy? Has the court contacted you? Do you already have an eviction date? In urgent situations like these, your application can be prioritized.

Please contact your local counselling center.

If you have already submitted an application, get in touch with the same counselling center and inform them that your situation has changed.

Yes. During your counselling appointment, it will be determined whether your rental debts can be covered or whether financial support for moving is possible.

Yes. Support is not dependent on whether you rent a house or an apartment.

In your counselling appointment, it will be assessed whether your rental debts can be covered or whether you may receive financial assistance for moving.

No. Rent debts are only covered for your primary residence.

• You are homeless or without permanent housing.
• You are unable to change your situation on your own.
• You have a low income.
• You live in Austria.
• You are over 18 years old.

Please contact a counselling center in your area and schedule an appointment. All requirements will be discussed during a personal appointment.

The counselling and application process are free of charge.

During an initial consultation, you’ll talk through your current situation. For example:

• Where are you currently staying?
• Is your aim to move into your own apartment?
• How much money do you have available each month?
• What kind of support do you need?
  A counselor will check whether you meet the requirements and can help you submit an application for WOHNSCHIRM HOUSING FIRST.
  What happens if your application is approved?

Support and Housing Placement

A social worker will assist you in finding a suitable and affordable apartment. WOHNSCHIRM HOUSING FIRST can also cover the deposit or initial financial contribution. You will sign your own rental contract and pay your own rent.

Before and after you move in, your social worker will support and guide you through a variety of topics. For example:

• If you are dealing with health issues,
• If you need to apply for social benefits but don’t know how,
• Or if you’re unsure how to register electricity and gas in your new home.

To get started, please reach out to a counselling center in your area.

If available, please bring important documents related to your housing situation and your income. For example:

• ID (e.g. passport, driver’s license, national ID card)
• Proof of your housing situation (e.g. residence registration confirmation, homelessness registration, letter from assisted housing or emergency shelter)
• Proof of income for all household members (e.g. payslips, family allowance confirmation, AMS letter about unemployment benefits)

You will receive further information during your appointment at the counselling center.

No. Please make an appointment at a counselling center.

A counselor will talk with you about your situation and find out if WOHNSCHIRM HOUSING FIRST is the right support for you. If it is, you’ll fill out the application together.

You are considered roofless if you are sleeping rough or staying in an emergency shelter. For example:

• You sleep on the street.
• You sleep in a tent.
• Or you stay in an emergency shelter.
  

You are considered without housing if you do have a shelter but no home of your own. For example:

• You sleep at a friend’s or acquaintance’s place and rely on them so you don’t have to sleep on the street.
• You live in a homeless shelter.
• You stay in a women’s shelter.
• Or you live in a facility for displaced persons.

Please contact a WOHNSCHIRM MIETE counselling center.

WOHNSCHIRM MIETE can cover rental debts or support you financially if moving to a more affordable home is necessary.

Here you can find a list of all homeless assistance facilities in Austria.

• You have unpaid energy bills (e.g. electricity, gas, district heating) and are unable to pay them.
• Your energy provider has announced a disconnection or has already cut off your energy supply.
• You have a low income. Here you can find information on income limits and eligibility.
• Your main residence is in Austria.

Please note: WOHNSCHIRM ENERGIE is a one-time support program. If you have already received help from WOHNSCHIRM ENERGIE the past, you cannot apply again.

Please contact a counselling center near your area and make an appointment. All requirements will be discussed during a personal appointment.

Counselling and application are free of charge.

During the consultation, your financial situation will beassessed:

• What are your current energy costs?
• How much energy debt do you have?
• How much money do you have available each month?

Additionally, the following will be discussed:

• Your energy provider has announced a disconnection? WOHNSCHIRM ENERGIE can cover outstanding energy bills. The counselling center will help prevent the disconnection.
• Your energy has already been disconnected? WOHNSCHIRM ENERGIE can cover the outstanding energy bills. The counselling center will help restoring your energy.

In some cases, counselling is available in other languages. Please contact a counselling center in your area.

Please bring important documents related to your housing situation and income, such as:

• ID (e.g., passport, driver’s license, national ID card)
• Registration form
• Proof of income for all household members (e.g., payslips)
• Energy bills (e.g., electricity, gas, district heating)
• A letter or email: disconnection warning or proof of disconnection

Here you can find more information about the income limits.
The following are considered as income:

• Earnings from self-employment or employment (excluding holiday and Christmas bonuses)
• AMS benefits such as unemployment or emergency assistance
• Social assistance, minimum income support
• Pension payments
• Family allowance, childcare allowance, alimony
• Housing or rent assistance
• Sick pay

The following are not considered income:

• Care allowance
• 24-hour care subsidies
• Increased family allowance

WOHNSCHIRM ENERGIE provides financial support when your energy is about to be disconnected or has already been disconnected.

In this context, reminder fees may also be covered.

However, debts incurred to pay your energy bills (e.g., a bank loan or money borrowed from relatives) cannot be covered.

The support payment is transferred directly to your energy provider. If this is not possible, WOHNSCHIRM ENERGIE may transfer the money to you in exceptional cases.

Currently, many people are applying for WOHNSCHIRM support. This may lead to longer processing times. However, your application will be processed.

No. WOHNSCHIRM ENERGIE can only help if:

• You have already received a disconnection notice with a scheduled disconnection date.
• Or your energy (electricity, gas, or district heating) has already been disconnected.

Yes, you must have an active energy supply contract for WOHNSCHIRM ENERGIE to support you. WOHNSCHIRM ENERGIE can only cover debts from active energy contracts.

You have an energy supply contract if you receive energy from an energy provider (e.g., electricity, gas, district heating).