In January 2026, two men died in Vienna after being exposed to very low temperatures outdoors, according to ORF Wien. Caritas confirmed both deaths and said the cases showed why winter emergency support matters, including the so-called Kältetelefon or “cold line”.
Across Austria, similar phone lines and services allow members of the public to alert outreach teams when they notice someone at risk in cold weather. The basic idea is simple: if someone is outside in freezing conditions, a quick call can help services reach them in time.
What is the ‘cold line’?
The “cold line” is the common name for regional phone lines run by Caritas or partner organisations that people can call if they see someone sleeping outdoors in dangerous cold. On its homelessness information page, Caritas Austria said many people want to help when they notice an improvised sleeping place, but do not know what to do.
Caritas recommended approaching the person and asking whether they need help. For practical support, it said people should contact a regional Caritas Kältetelefon or a Caritas facility. In an acute, life-threatening situation or if someone’s health is at risk, Caritas said you should call the ambulance service on 144.
When contacting a cold line, callers should provide the date and time, the person's precise location and a description of the person or people involved. In Vienna, Caritas says its teams follow up on reports but cannot guarantee an immediate response.
During the 2025/26 winter season, Vienna's cold line received more than 15,500 calls, while Caritas helped more than 490 people find emergency accommodation, according to the charity's April figures.
Schwertner said tips via the cold line had helped locate people “literally at the last minute”, including cases where people were brought to hospital with a body temperature of 34C and could be stabilised, as reported by ORF. He also said Caritas had been able to refer people to emergency accommodation in several hundred cases.
Where to call?
Caritas listed different contact points across Austria, with opening hours and winter operating periods that vary by region:
Vienna: Caritas Vienna Kältetelefon 01/4804-553, 24 hours, October 28th to April 28th
Burgenland: Caritas Burgenland Kältetelefon 0676/8373-0322, 8 am to 10 pm, November 1st to March 31st
Styria (Graz): Caritas Styria Kältetelefon 0676/8801-58111, 6pm to midnight, November 11th to March 31st
Carinthia: Caritas Carinthia Kältetelefon 0463/3960-60, 6 pm to 6 am, November 1st to March 31st
Salzburg: Caritas Salzburg Kältetelefon 0676/8482-10651, 24 hours, November 1st to March 31st
Tyrol: Kältetelefon 0512/2144-7 (Tyrolean Social Services, TSD), 24 hours, November 1st to April 30th
Vorarlberg: Caritas Center Feldkirch 05522/200-1700, 8 am to midday (Mon to Fri)
Notschlafstelle (emergency sleeping place) at Jahnplatz 4, Feldkirch 05522/200-1200, 4:30 pm to 8 am
Caritas Café 05522/200-1570, 8.30am to 2pm (Mon to Fri), 8.30am to midday (Sat)
Upper Austria: cold line for the city of Linz (Sozialverein B37) 0732/7767-67560, 10 am to midday (Tue and Thu), November 1st to March 31st. Outside these times there is an answering machine. Emails can always be sent to linzer-kaeltetelefon(at)b37.at
Lower Austria: no province-wide cold line. Caritas lists emergency sleeping places in St. Pölten (Emmaus, 0676/886 44 0) and Wiener Neustadt (Verein für Soziale Betreuung NÖ Süd, 02622/23 191). More information on homelessness services is available via netwo-noe.at.
The organisation said support differs by region and can include street work, where social workers follow up on reports, visit the person and location, and offer help such as sleeping bags, advice and referrals to emergency accommodation. Other regions focus more on emergency sleeping places.
READ ALSO: 'Achtung... Gefahr': What do Austria's weather warnings actually mean?
Key vocabulary
Kältetelefon – “cold line”, a phone line to report people at risk in cold weather
Winternothilfe – winter emergency assistance services
Streetwork – outreach work by social workers supporting people on the street
Notquartier – emergency shelter or emergency accommodation
Notschlafstelle – emergency sleeping place (overnight facility)
Wohnungslosigkeit – homelessness or housing exclusion (umbrella term)
Comments