SROI-Analysis Kolping Mutter-Kind-Einrichtungen (German only PDF)

Assisted living with a difference - how " Living Together" connects generations and changes the future

When single parents stand outside the gates of Kolping Austria with their children and ask for support, they usually have already suffered severe blows of fate and are acutely threatened by homelessness. Escape from a violent relationship, for example, high debts or an ever faster downward spiral of poverty make this step necessary. They hope that they can find their way back into a normal, regular life, where they live in their own accommodation, have a regular income and can offer their offspring a good future.

Mother-child facilities want to offer them support on their way - in the 10th and 2nd district of Vienna Kolping Austria opened two very special housing projects. Under the name "Living Together" the single parents share their temporary living space with elderly people and people in need of care. A team of certified social workers, pedagogues and psychologists supports and accompanies them comprehensively. The adults are to find their way back into a stable future, while at the same time the children are offered a safe space in which they are supported and can be children again.

An SROI analysis has now confirmed that the two houses provide a high level of social added value. Every euro invested shows a monetised equivalent value of 5.11 euros in the short term and even 21.40 euros in the medium to long term.

In the short term, however, the residents themselves benefit most from this. They can return to a stable life in a protected environment, learn how to handle finances responsibly and benefit from (re-)integration into the labour market: either they take up employment in the home, or are placed in external jobs or training. For the parent-child relationship, greater stability means above all relief and a return to a more peaceful family life. The children themselves benefit from an improvement in their performance at school, their own state of health and leisure activities. In the long run, it is the children who benefit most. They benefit from the sustainable improvement in health development and from the reduction of the risk of poverty. All residents - from the youngest to the oldest - can also strengthen their social skills and make new friends.

At the same time, the accommodation in the "Living Together" houses is also a savings factor for the City of Vienna. The removal of children can be avoided and the costs of accommodation can be saved. In addition, there are more opportunities for childcare and a reduction in the workload.

Prevention therefore pays off for everyone.

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