Again Excitement About Vienna Minimum Security: Prisoners Receive Rent Allowance

The Vienna minimum security is once again under criticism. The ÖVP and FPÖ complained on Sunday, following a report by the "Kronen Zeitung", that prisoners in Vienna receive rent subsidies as part of the minimum security, and called for a reform.

The regulation is based on a decision by the administrative court and applies to imprisonment of up to one year, confirmed a spokesperson for Social City Councilor Peter Hacker (SPÖ) upon request.

Rent Subsidy for Prisoners Causes Criticism

According to the city councilor himself, this approach is "primarily economically sensible." "The support for reintegration into the housing market would be associated with higher costs than maintaining the housing option over the corresponding period," Hacker told the "Kronen Zeitung". If people require homeless shelters or social care after imprisonment, it would be more complex and expensive, his spokesperson explained to the APA. Last year, the regulation was applied to 31 prisoners, according to the newspaper report, causing costs of around 54,000 euros.

City of Vienna Argues with Cost Savings

It is based on a decision by the administrative court. After the city reclaimed a paid minimum security from a man due to a prison sentence, he believed that he was at least entitled to the rent subsidy - and was proven right. The Vienna minimum security law states that claims for minimum security for living expenses and the basic amount to cover housing needs are suspended as long as the need is otherwise covered for a longer period. However, the basic amount intended to cover housing needs is excluded from this, "as far as it is demonstrably necessary to cover housing costs, a housing need will arise again in the foreseeable future, and maintaining the specific housing option is economically sensible."

ÖVP for Reform, FPÖ Targets Hacker

In their government program, the red-pink city government has agreed to evaluate the much-criticized Vienna minimum security. The Vienna ÖVP now called on the coalition to immediately tighten the regulation for prisoners. "That taxpayers have to pay for this while offenders serve their prison sentences is simply incomprehensible to many," criticized club chairman Harald Zierfuß and social spokesperson Ingrid Korosec. Vienna must "no longer be the social magnet of Austria."

The criticism of Vienna FPÖ chairman Dominik Nepp is mainly directed against Social City Councilor Hacker, whom he accused of "ignorance and arrogance." Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) is urged to remove him from office. "There needs to be a vote of no confidence against Hacker at the next meeting of the Vienna City Council," Nepp further stated. The ÖVP is called upon to support this - anything else would be "another betrayal of the Viennese."

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.