This episode of the Sunday Story, part of NPR's Climate Solutions Week, explores how Vienna, Austria, addresses climate change and housing issues through social housing. NPR's Julia Simon reports on Vienna's city-built and city-subsidized housing models, where about half the residents live in social housing. These initiatives include climate-friendly designs, solar panels, geothermal energy, and retrofitting older buildings. The city uses a competition process to incentivize developers to incorporate sustainable elements in city-subsidized housing. Inspired by Vienna, U.S. politicians and city officials from places like Chicago are exploring similar green social housing initiatives to reduce climate pollution and provide affordable housing, despite challenges like funding and nimbyism.
