The Austrian Federation of Limited-Profit Housing Associations (GBV) functions as compulsory audit organisation for its members as well as interest representation body. Its members are 185 housing providers all over Austria; 98 of the members are constituted as cooperatives the other 87 as capital societies with a broad scope of shareholders (public authorities, bodies if interest representation such as unions, private business enterprises). The Limited-Profit Housing Act determines the performance of the Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations irrespective of type of organization.
The oldest housing associations have been founded around the turn of the 19th/20th century. Since then the associations have been responsible for the construction of more than 1.000.000 dwellings. Today they own /manage 642.000 rented dwellings and manage 266.000 owner-occupied dwellings as well as 38.000 dwellings in municipality housing. Around 45% of this stock is run by cooperatives. This stock represents about a fifth of the total Austrian housing stock and about 40 percent of multi-family housing. The majority of this stock has been financed with assistance of public funds; thus public funding is one of the biggest issues of the Austrian Federation of Limited-Profit Housing Associations. As the responsibility for public funding lies at the nine federal provinces the respective local authorities are one of the most important partners for limited-profit housing in Austria.
- Year of foundation: 1946
- Members: 185
- Dwellings managed for rent (2016): 642.000
- New constructions for year (2016): 15.300
- Investment in Building (2013 - 2016): 900 Mio €