Students and the homeless living together

An extraordinary housing project by VinziRast will start in the next couple of days in Vienna: students and homeless people will live and work together in a house at Währinger Straße.

The idea emerged two years ago, when students contacted the constructor Hans Peter Haselsteiner. As he agreed that he would finance the project, it is now close to completion.

The house at Währinger Straße 19 has been empty for many years. At the moment, the last construction works are underway. Furniture and furnishings are still needed and the organisers have asked for donations.

Ten shared flats with 27 places to sleep, three workshops and a bar on the ground floor have been built. The rent will be 300 Euros per month. There is also the possibility of working in the bar.

“A life in community can sort out broken people and heal psychological injuries”, said Cecily Corti, who has supervised the project from the beginning. The people, who live and work in the house together, should learn with and from each other.

Ms Corti received the “Mitten im Leben-Preis der BAWAG P.S.K. für herausragendes humanitäres Engagement” (The BAWAG P.S.K Midst of life prize for exceptional humanitarian work”).