The Upper Austrian Social Report 2001

Summary

A resolution was passed in the Social Committee of the Upper Austrian parliament on the 14th May 1998 together with the Upper Austrian Social Welfare Act 1998, which is the basis of the Upper Austrian social report submitted here:

"The Upper Austrian provincial government is requested to submit to the provincial parliament at the latest in the year 2002 a report containing the most important data, as evaluated in the context of the province social plan, and which provides information on to which extent the goals of social plan were taken into consideration."

The Upper Austrian social report submitted here is therefore mainly meant for those political and administrative decision-makers, who are responsible for the organisation of social services and assistance and should offer them a basis for their decisions regarding social plan activities. It is furthermore also meant for the interested public.

The Upper Austrian social report 2001 poses three questions:

• How do people live in this province ?

• Which legal and political possibilities do people have to socially arrange their life ?

• Which services are available for people and with people in Upper ?

These three questions are present in all the individual chapters and are assessed from eight different perspectives:

(9) Income and poverty

(10) Work and unemployment

(11) People with impairments

(12) Elderly people and long-term care

(13) Children and families

122 Sozialbericht 2001 (14) Violence against women and children

(15) Migration

(16) Homelessness

This principal item of the Upper Austrian social report orients itself in structure and organisation on the internal logic of the Upper Austrian Social Welfare Act and outlines the areas of activity and responsibility of the social department. This report is supplemented by a representation of substantial basic data of the Upper Austrian province and a socio-political overall concept of the Upper Austrian social policy.

This report is committed to a gender neutral wording following the principle of gender mainstreaming.

Upper Austria at a glance

Geography: is divided into four quarters, the , the , the Traunviertel and the Mühlviertel and/or into 15 districts and the three statutory cities , and . Upper Austria has 445 municipalities, of which 282 are at present local municipalities, 135 market municipalities and 28 cities. The most important Upper Austrian rivers are the Danube, Inn, Salzach, Enns, and Steyr. The highest mountains of Upper Austria are in the limestone Alps, which form the southern part the province, among them the Hohe Dachstein with a height of 2.995 m (highest mountain of Upper Austria). Large lakes are to be found in the Alpenvorland, among others the Attersee, the Traunsee, the Mondsee and the Hallstättersee.

Population: 1.376.797 people lived in Upper Austria on the 15 May 2001 according to the census 2001, of which 704,256 were women and 672,541 men. Thus the population of the province increased by approximately 50.000 persons opposite to 1991. 18.2 % of the Upper Austrians were under 15 years of age in 2001, 20.1% over 60. Additionally a migration process can be ascertained from the Upper Austrian towns to the surrounding countryside.

Sozialbericht 2001 123 Economy: Upper Austria provides approximately 16% of the overall Austrian gross domestic product (GDP), whereby half comes from the region Linz-Wels. The economy is founded on services, industry and processing, commerce, building industry, power economy as well as agriculture and forestry. Upper Austria is the interface of important European traffic routes due to its central position.

Social policy: The basis of the provincial social policy is the Upper Austrian Social Welfare Act 1998 (Oö. SHG 1998). The provincial social budget amounted to 255.4 Mill. ¤ in the year 2001. The two largest challenges for (future) financing are services for elderly people and for people with physical or psychological impairments. The social area is also an important factor for the job market. The systemised jobs (personnel units) increased within this area by 48% between 1996 and 2001, the number of the jobs increased even more, since part-time work is common in this area. In particular highly qualified personnel.

Accommodation: According to the census 2001 there were approximately 546,000 private households in Upper Austria, 2.5 people shared a dwelling on average. A quarter of the dwellings was inhabited by only one person ("single households"), to a large extent elderly persons. A further quarter of the dwellings was inhabited by two people, approximately half of the dwellings by three or more persons. There were approximately 186,000 main and 17,000 secondary residences in Upper Austria in 2001; nearly half of the secondary residences are to be found in the three districts Linz (municipality), and Vöcklabruck. The housing situation can be classified as satisfactory (89% category A). More than half of the dwellings are owned, a third of all dwellings are rented. The average monthly housing expenses for main residences amounted to 294.76 ¤ per dwelling and/or 4,48 ¤ per square meter in 2001.

Income and poverty

The income distribution shows both substantial differences between male and female incomes, however least in the public service, and between the groups of female workers, employees and female civil servants. 1,997 people received benefits from social welfare in Upper Austria in 2001 (without social welfare services for inhabitants of old-age and

124 Sozialbericht 2001 nursing homes). The average indebtedness (the clients of the debtor counselling) was approximately 72,700, - ¤ in 2001.

The measures of the province Upper Austria against poverty (on basis of the Oö. SHG 1998) are above all support regarding living costs, assistance in special social situations, work assistance, assistance in stationary institutions and debt adjustment.

Work and unemployment

Both occupation and unemployment have developed more favourably in Upper Austria than the federal average. On the average approximately 539,000 people were gainfully occupied (310,000 men, 229,000 women) and 22,900 people were registered as seeking work in Upper Austria 2001. The Upper Austrian unemployment rate of 4,1 % was the lowest of all Austrian provinces of the Federal Republic (federal average at the end of 2001: 6,1 %).

The labour market districts Wels and Steyr had the largest problems in 2001, while the job market situation developed favourably in particular in the labour market districts Eferding and Linz. The Upper Austrian job market is also strongly influenced by seasonal fluctuations in the two seasonal industries catering trade and building industry: The highest unemployment level is in February and is approximately a third higher than the lowest level in July. The unemployment duration is however relatively short on average (more than half of the unemployed persons were unemployed for less than three months). Women are on the average more strongly affected by unemployment than men. Disabilities or complex social problems (debts, previous convictions, release from prison, alcohol or drug addiction) are above all responsible for long persisting unemployment and/or difficult placement, beside age and sex, but also an already delivered summoning into military service or a pregnancy.

The support of the province of Upper Austria by means of the program "Work assistance", established in the Oö. SHG 1998, is aimed in particular at groups of persons with special placement problems and at persons receiving social welfare benefits.

Sozialbericht 2001 125 People with impairments

The policy of the province Upper Austria for persons with impairments is characterised by a paradigm change. Customer orientation, more participation, more transparency and quality development as well as –warranty are now centre of attention. This change of paradigm also manifests itself legally in the restructuring of the Oö. Disability Act: An Equal Treatment Act should determine the participation and the rights of persons with impairments in the future.

The province Upper Austria offers a large number of services for persons with impairments and their next of kin, which promote equal opportunities and increase their quality of life. These measures have been substantially developed in the past years. The priorities were thereby placed on regionalisation and decentralisation, as well as on participation, customer orientation and increase of equal opportunities. The province co- operates thereby with a large number of private welfare agencies, who carry these individual measures out. 6400 people with impairments were cared for (mobile, out- patient and stationary) by altogether 24 private welfare agencies in 2001.

The obligatory budget expenses of the disability assistance amounted to 107.084.002,53 ¤ in 2001. The so-called promotional costs amount to13.374.468,54 ¤ for the voluntary services of the province Upper Austria. This represents an increase of approximately 60 % since 1996. The number of persons receiving disability assistance services increased in the same period from 4.493 to 7.546, that is likewise an increase of 60%.

The success of the political measures for people with impairments show up e.g. in the considerable success of the "Accommodation offensive" (174 completed accommodations and/or accommodations in development). The basis for economic and technical control has been developed by the social department since 1998 in altogether three large projects in participatory designed processes - i.e. with participation of the concerned persons, their next of kin and institutions. Service contracts with the responsible bodies, active in this area, should furthermore lastingly ensure the quality.

A Upper Austrian provincial social program for psychiatric aftercare, which is embodied into the Oö. SHG, and which essentially contains goals, guidance strategies and standards for psychosocial aftercare as well as a provincial psychiatry plan, has been

126 Sozialbericht 2001 compiled for persons with psychosocial impairments. Thus the practical implementation of the basic concept "Out-patient before stationery " is enforced. There have been no more obligatory admission cases in psychiatric departments of hospitals since September 2002. The out-patient psychosocial support facilities have been subsequently substantially developed.

Old age and long-term care

Approximately a fifth of the Upper Austrian population is older than 60 years, whereby nearly two thirds are women, according to the most recent census. The female proportion of the elderly (over 75 years) is even higher. It can be expected that the proportion and the absolute number of elderly people will continue to increase in the coming decades.

Half of the Upper Austrian seniors classify their state of health as good or very good, a good third as moderate, but about 11 % as bad or very bad. The state of health worsens on average with increasing age. Approximately 48,000 people receive care allowances in Upper Austria, approximately 41,000 of these persons are older than 60. Care is predominantly provided by women, both by professional services as well as in the family and in the neighbourhood.

The Upper Austrian province provides numerous contributions in kind, which are determined in the Oö. SHG 1998. Basic principle of the province in this respect is "Mobile before stationary", i.e. (old) persons are given the opportunity, even in the case of deterioration of their health, to remain for as long as possible in their familiar surroundings, normally their own dwelling. This assistance is particularly carried out via mobile services (home nursing for the sick, mobile support and assistance) apart from the creation of housing conditions suitable for the elderly and the project "Cared living" (2500 dwellings will be created until 2010 in the whole province). Services for the accompaniment of moribund persons and their next of kin are consolidated under "Palliative Care".

Sozialbericht 2001 127 It is task of the social welfare organisations and statutory cities according to the Oö. SHG 1998 to ensure in accordance with their possibilities that accommodation is available in old age and in nursing homes for people in need of care, who are dependent on stationary care. There were 105 old age and nursing homes with altogether 11,384 places in Upper Austria on the 1/1/2002. 80 % of the inhabitants are female, 43 % of the inhabitants are older than 85 years.

The quality of care for the elderly and people in need of care could be clearly improved in recent years. One can not only ascertain an extreme quantitative increase but also a clear qualification betterment regarding the employees in this area. The number and proportion of well trained employees, in particular in old age care and nursing homes, is clearly increasing. The number of e.g. home places in old age care and nursing homes has increased by approximately approx. 5 % since 1996, the number of functional employees (administration, kitchen, cleaning) has increased by 14 % and the number of maintenance personnel by 60 %.

The provincial Upper Austrian Care school for elderly persons offers quality and praxis- near training and is an important authority centre regarding care for elderly persons far beyond the provincial borders.

The creation of social counselling agencies was embodied in the Oö SHG 1998, in order to facilitate access to social assistance and support. This is of particular importance for long-term care. Meanwhile 64 social counselling agencies have been established, which not only serve as a first "Clearing agency" for all social questions, but also function as contact and networking agencies for all old age care institutions (mobile and stationary), which exist in the respective social . They are therefore an ever more important first information centre for elderly people in need of care and their next of kin.

Children and families

The problem areas of family policy are one parent families and families endangered or affected by unemployment (especially long-term unemployment). Both groups are endangered above average by poverty and exclusion.

128 Sozialbericht 2001 The services of the Upper Austrian department of youth welfare for families and children are manifold and help particularly in problematic family situations. One parent families and families endangered or affected by unemployment (esp. long-term unemployment) are affected above average by poverty and exclusion for example. The services of the youth welfare are comprehensive and also often undertake preventive measures.

For example in particular preventive and individual services of the Upper Austrian youth welfare, parent-child centres, child protection centres, mother and parents counselling, individual educational assistance in the case of endangerment of the child well-being, educational support, child care, recreation activities and subsidies to the family vacation as well as psychological counselling of the province Upper Austria. Streetwork is a calling, pursuing youth and adult activity and is primarily orientated towards youths (adults), who society considers as "disturbing" or excluded.

At present approximately 500 children are in fosterage in some 300 foster families in Upper Austria. There is the possibility for foster parents to be employed (part-time- employed) as a quality-assurance measure to safeguard the care conditions in Upper Austria since May 2000. Currently 100 foster mothers and 3 foster fathers make use of this possibility. 150 couples are registered on the average for the adoption of a child per year in Upper Austria.

Future priorities of the Upper Austrian child and youth policy are the expansion of infant support measures, an image campaign with the priority on child protection, priority setting in the area of preventive offers of the youth welfare for parents and for educational assistance measures.

Violence against women and children

Womens' shelters offer abused women and children or such persons threatened by violence, protection and counselling. Upper Austria has so far five womens' shelters, in Linz, Wels, Steyr, Vöcklabruck and Ried/Innkreis. Their capacity is 38 places for women and 64 places for children. The operation of the Upper Austrian womens' shelters is

Sozialbericht 2001 129 financially ensured by the province on the basis of the Oö. SHG 1998. 211 women and 252 children found protection and support in these institutions in 2001.

6 child protection centres have been established by the Upper Austrian youth welfare to support children affected by violence, abuse or neglect. The support offered by these centres encompasses preventive work and creation of awareness in the public as well as tangible therapy activities with the children.

The right to remove the aggressor from the family offers additional protection against violence and threats of violence beside the womens' shelters. Violent persons can be expelled from the dwelling for up to max. 20 days, this can be extended to 3 months by injunction and during an ongoing separation procedure until the unappealable conclusion. Austria has at present the most modern legal solution in the whole of Europe in this area regarding the right to remove the aggressor from the family.

Migration

According to the census 2001 99,617 foreigners (46,273 women, 53,344 men) lived in Upper Austria, that is 7.2 % of the Upper Austrian resident population. Of this 13,067 persons (6,403 women and 6,664 men) originate from EU-countries and are virtually on an equal footing with nationals. The largest group of foreigners, i.e. 52,778 persons (24,180 women, 28,598 men) comes from former Yugoslavia, the second largest group of 17.276 persons (7,659 women, 9,617 men) comes from Turkey. Further 16,496 foreigners (8,031 women, 8,465 men) are citizens of a total of 153 countries.

The migration to Upper Austria is characterised by two factors, on the one hand work migration (6.57 % of the employed persons were foreigners requiring a work permit in 2001) and on the other hand refugee migration (asylum seekers, recognised refugees, unprovided foreigners). The acquisition of the Austrian nationality is considered to be the last step of a successful integration for a certain segment of the migrants. 5,449 persons were naturalised in Upper Austria in the year 2001.

The province Upper Austria supports needy foreigners on basis of the Oö. SHG 1998 and financially promotes organisations, institutions and associations, which concern

130 Sozialbericht 2001 themselves with the care, support and counselling of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. 3.25 Mill Euro were spent for this purpose in 2001, this increased to 4 million in 2002.

An Upper Austrian migrant integration appointee from the provincial social department has been providing to co-ordinate the integration measures since September 2001.

Foreigners also receive housing benefits under certain conditions starting from 1/1/2003, due to the relevance of accommodation as focal point and primary recreation area for residents and foreigners alike. Apart from that specific tenant counselling and tenant representation for foreigners as well as a special accommodation project ("Noitzmühle") are promoted. There is an integration hostel in Thalham as well as accommodation services for asylum seekers and remand pending deportees specifically for convention refugees. A integrative garden project in Wels serves for the communication of residents and foreigners. Institutions for the support and integration of children receive special support.

A fundamental concern of the integration policy of the province Upper Austria is the fight against racism and xenophobia. The Upper Austrian policy on foreigners will be confronted with new extensive challenges in the coming years, last but not least due to a comprehensive enlargement of the European Union. Appropriate projects, which are now already being implemented, should take up these challenges in good time.

Homelessness

Habitation is a fundamental right, which is not equally available to all people. Although it is naturally difficult to achieve a quantitative overview of the problem of homelessness, one can assume that approximately 1% of the population are homeless, i.e., they are not without shelter, but do not dispose over a personal dwelling, live therefore in a cheap pension, in a Company accommodation or with friends. Approximately 0.35 % of the population are directly shelterless, i.e. they live "in the streets" and have therefore no short term accommodation. An estimated 13,300 persons are homeless, 4,700 persons directly shelterless in Upper Austria.

Sozialbericht 2001 131 The fight against homelessness and the support of homeless people is a provincial obligation since the introduction of the Oö. SHG 1998. The support is affected in a multi- level procedure, beginning with low level institutions such as counselling centres or emergency sleeping facilities, to support in a hostel up to accommodation in a transition dwelling. Various social problems (debt adjustment, withdrawal, preparation for the job market) are also solved during the supportive measures. At present there are 10 institutions in Upper Austria for the support of homeless people. The prevention of deplacement is also part of the comprehensive strategy for the reduction of homelessness.

132 Sozialbericht 2001