VinziRast-mittendrin, an inclusive social housing and community integration project in Vienna
VinziRast-mittendrin, an inclusive social housing and community integration project in Vienna
VinziRast Vienna
A pioneering project that combines housing, employment, and education for formerly homeless individuals and students
VinziRast-mittendrin is an innovative social housing project in Vienna, established in 2013, that brings together formerly homeless individuals and university students in a shared living environment. The community is intentionally diverse, encompassing people from different life paths, cultural backgrounds, and age groups. This inclusive setting fosters trust, social integration, and personal development. The facility houses 26 residents across ten shared apartments, with two to three people per unit. Each apartment provides private bedrooms for personal retreat, while communal areas such as kitchens, living rooms, workshops, and a rooftop terrace offer spaces for social interaction and skill-building.
The project also incorporates an integrative gastronomic initiative, the VinziRast-Lokal mittendrin, where formerly homeless residents gain permanent employment and professional experience in the kitchen and service. They are supported by both staff and volunteers, and the menu emphasizes vegetarian and vegan dishes that reflect the cultural diversity of the team. Additional programs include VinziRast-Chance, which provides vocational training and language courses for people in the asylum process, and VinziRast am Land, a rural community project combining agricultural work with social integration.
VinziRast-mittendrin thrives on volunteer support and donations. Overall, the project emphasizes community living as a path to healing, empowerment, and social participation.
Location
Àustria
Partners/ Founders
VinziRast Vienna, Volunteers and individual donors, Support from local organizations and partners
Genesis
VinziRast-mittendrin was created in 2013 by VinziRast Vienna to integrate formerly homeless individuals and students into a supportive, communal living environment. The project was designed to promote social inclusion, psychological healing, and personal development through shared daily life.
Implementation level
The project provides housing for 26 residents in ten shared apartments. Other initiatives with a similar approach, such as VinziRast-Chance and VinziRast am Land have been created. Strong volunteer engagement and positive social and psychological outcomes among residents demonstrate the project’s lasting success and impact.
Banc d’innovacions
Jordi Amat, Director of the ICT Area at the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion: “The goal of wSocial is to make information available to the entire social ecosystem”
iSocial Foundation and GrausTIC Award the Prize for Social Integration through Digitalization to the Dinder Club App
Professionalising Peer Support: Transforming Care Through Shared Experience
The Rehab-Lab Network, recognized by Plena Inclusión as a “Practice with Impact”
