Ensuring affordable housing and long-term tenancies for particularly vulnerable people and those on very low incomes is a challenge for every social housing company, which is by definition limited in its profit maximisation. Facing growing social tensions due to joblessness and impoverishment, municipal and social property managers in particular are required to adapt their services to these changing conditions.

Case Management at Wiener Wohnen focuses on preventing evictions through the intervention of social workers (out-reach work). They organise professional help for tenants who are in difficult circumstances, such as those with high rental arrears or those displaying signs of anti-social behaviour for reasons such as mental health issues, drug or alcohol abuse, dementia, compulsive hording etc.

Wiener Wohnen is the only property management company in Vienna which employs social workers to prevent evictions or to help people in difficult circumstances when they are in danger of losing a roof over their heads.

A team of nine persons, including seven social workers, try get in contact with tenants with rental arrears, who have already received an eviction notice. The social workers call them and if this is not successful, they visit them. They offer support, analyse the individual situation and organise professional help. For example, social workers help to fill in the relevant application forms for housing benefit, organise appointments, or accompany their clients to social organisations. In cases of health problems, they organise care or another form of accommodation. Each intervention is professionally documented in a database and is reported.