Zurich buys more houses but evictions spark outrage

Keystone / Michael Buholzer

The evictions at the so-called ‘Sugus Houses’ in Zurich have caused widespread outrage across Switzerland, boosting support for left-wing housing policies. However, building affordable, non-profit housing remains a significant challenge.

The owner of the three ‘Sugus Houses’, who evicted around 250 tenants, has received little public sympathy. Even the Property Owners’ Association and a Radical-Liberal councillor of Zurich’s cantonal government have criticised the move. For the left, especially the Social Democrats, the message is clear: change is needed.

+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

The evictions are seen as a prime example of the decline in affordable housing and how landlords use mass evictions to maximise profits. Florian Utz, co-chair of the Social Democratic Party parliamentary group in Zurich’s government, insists on urgent action: “This cannot continue. We need new laws at both the federal and cantonal levels to protect tenants from such mass evictions.”

Utz is also urging government action: “The city must buy more properties to offer affordable housing.” Zurich’s mayor, Corine Mauch, has announced plans to negotiate with the owner for a potential purchase.

+How gentrification in Zurich has led to housing shortage

Despite opposition from some conservative voices, the city’s left-leaning government is steadfast. It is committed to its strategy, aiming to ensure that one-third of all housing in Zurich is non-profit by 2050 – a goal approved by voters in 2011. However, despite record spending on property acquisitions, the proportion of non-profit housing has not increased in recent years.

Zurich struggles to meet its “one-third goal”

To reach this one-third goal, Zurich needs more than just funding; it requires greater legal powers, says Mauch: “We are hitting a wall. Federal and cantonal laws limit us. For example, we lack a right of first refusal.” This right, which allows cities to purchase properties before private buyers, exists in canton Vaud.

Record spending on property acquisitions

The left’s demand is clear: buy even more buildings. Zurich has already been very active, spending unprecedented sums this year. It has purchased houses and residential areas worth hundreds of millions. For next year, the city has further increased its budget, allocating CHF600 million ($672 million) for property acquisitions.

This approach is politically contentious. While the Radical-Liberal Party city councillor Albert Leiser also criticises the handling of the ‘Sugus Houses’ evictions, he believes the city’s aggressive purchasing strategy is misguided. “Only the city can afford to buy properties at premium prices and then lower rents. This money would be better spent directly supporting those who genuinely need affordable housing,” he argues.

Other Swiss cities face similar challenges

The Swiss Association of Cities is also advocating for a right of first refusal. President Anders Stokholm explains, “Such a right would help cities.” However, the measure has failed to gain traction at the national level. As a result, the association focuses on promoting non-profit housing developers, such as cooperatives.

Rising rents are not just a problem in Zurich. Even if mass evictions like those at the ‘Sugus Houses’ get less attention in other cities, affordable housing remains scarce across Switzerland.

Translated from German by DeepL/sp

How we work

This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.

If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to [e-mail].