Housing: Popular initiative for affordable housing
The Swiss government should stop the explosion of rents and promote non-profit and affordable housing more strongly, demands the Swiss Tenants' Association (SMV) with the popular initiative "More affordable housing".
On October 18, the association submitted the initiative with 106,000 valid signatures - half a year before the collection deadline. Despite rock-bottom interest rates and zero inflation, rents have literally exploded in recent years, writes the SMV. In order to remove housing "from speculation and yield pressure in the long term", the Federal Government should once again promote non-profit housing construction - especially as the proportion of apartments owned by housing cooperatives, foundations or cities has decreased over the last two decades.
The housing initiative, which was co-launched by Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz, Schweizerischer Gewerkschaftsbund, SP and Grünen, calls for twice as many non-profit apartments to be built as before.
The initiators further demand that the cantons and municipalities should be able to introduce a right of first refusal for suitable properties. Such a right of first refusal should exist by law in the case of land owned by the Confederation and by companies close to the Confederation. In addition, public subsidies should only be paid out if they do not lead to the loss of affordable housing. (ah)
