Vienna, a European laboratory for social housing

Vienna is widely regarded as the model and benchmark for social housing in Europe, thanks to a century of continuous public intervention, a stock of public and subsidised housing covering around 60% of the population, and active land acquisition policies. Its public dimension is based on a city council that owns or directly manages about 220,000 dwellings, supported by social housing associations for limited profit. The strong public presence and rent regulation contribute to moderating prices in the city real estate market compared to other European capitals. However, experts and reports indicate that the model is facing recent pressures from rising maintenance costs, scarcity of land in some areas, and lengthening waiting lists. Is it a model that can be adopted in Mediterranean cultures?