The SHAREVIE project, financed by the City of Vienna WU Jubilee Fund, analyses the situation of shared accommodation in Vienna. Vienna is undergoing significant population growth – by 2050, the population is expected to increase by about 300,000 people. This expansion presents considerable challenges for the city. Addressing the needs of a growing population while meeting socio-ecological goals will require a more efficient use of existing housing space. SHAREVIE proposes that shared housing has the potential to redistribute existing housing space and use it more effectively, thereby creating smart solutions to the social-ecological crises and more affordable and resilient living environments in Vienna.

However, shared housing is currently largely invisible in both academic and social discourses. SHAREVIE therefore aims to analyze the status quo of shared housing in Vienna. It focusses on the following research questions:

• What are the key characteristics of shared housing in Vienna?

• What are the economic, ecological, and social benefits and challenges of shared housing?

• What are the framework conditions (e.g. legal, political, institutional) that either support or hinder shared housing?

• What kind of policies help to unlock the economic, ecological, and social potentials of shared housing in Vienna?

A mixed methods approach is deployed to assess these questions. Quantitative methods will be used to analyze the number and characteristics of shared housing in Vienna. Benefits, challenges, framework conditions and policies will be identified through an extensive literature review, focus groups, and expert interviews.