“This foundation saved me”

The sun is shining on this autumn day in Witikon ZH in October 2022. The Zurich area is surrounded by a lot of forest and the sun allows the colors of the trees to shine particularly brightly. Visiting the Witikon is like a trip to the countryside. Small village feeling in the middle of the city quarter.

“It was my home once,” says Christina Petermann, 79, pointing to the house behind her. He is here again with Blick on the street in Witikon ZH, where he had to vacate his flat at the end of March 2022.

The landlady, Mobiliar, terminated the contract with all residents. Reason: The building will be extensively renovated and two floors will be added.

Objections delay construction

But as Blick’s research shows, nothing has happened since then. Building visors are still tucked around the property, which was built in 1971. However, the excavators did not go up. Reason: The insurer does not have a building permit. “An objection from a neighboring property owner is pending,” explains Mobiliar spokesperson Jürg Thalmann.

That didn’t change anything for Petermann. He had to leave his home. Finding something new was not easy. Especially since the pensioner really wants to stay in Zurich, but not rich. “The Witikon is my home,” she says. The atmosphere among its inhabitants is family. However, the pensioner can no longer afford the usual market rents here.

“I can’t afford 3,000 francs!”

Peterman is divorced. She raised her daughter alone. At a time when extracurricular childcare options were virtually non-existent. “It wasn’t easy,” says Petermann.

He came to Zurich in 1966 to work as a flight attendant for Swissair. She didn’t have a professional retirement plan at the time, and as a single parent she couldn’t put much aside.

He has almost no savings. Petermann lives on a small AHV pension with additional benefits. “I can’t afford an apartment for 3,000 francs,” Petermann told Blick last year. said.

Affordable housing is scarce

Petermann is not alone with this problem. Between 2019 and 2020, a third of all residential buildings in Zurich were given vacant notices due to conversion work. There are no newer figures.

Blank notices are attractive because property owners can dramatically increase their rental income in one go. However, they can be life-threatening for affected tenants.

Housing shortage across Switzerland

One thing is clear: the situation has now worsened. Because living space is becoming more and more scarce and expensive. Not just in cities. Real estate consulting firm Wüest Partner predicts housing shortages in 20 out of 26 cantons in 2023. Especially rare: cheap living space.

Wüest Partner’s analysis also shows that the construction standard has risen steadily over the last ten years. Accordingly, about ten percent more is invested in a housing unit today than it was then – excluding high construction costs. Low-income people suffer the most. The burden of housing costs has increased significantly for them.

The slums have moved

The superstructure at Witikon was supposed to be cleaned by the end of March 2022. However, the facilities did not remain uninhabited for long. Meanwhile, slums spread.

Mobiliar knows this and ignores it. “The property management we appointed is in contact with the slums,” Thalmann says. A peaceful residence is expected.

According to Mobiliar, the property is generally available to Ukrainian refugees until a building permit is obtained. Reported to the asylum organization AOZ of the Canton of Zurich. “But to date this has not recorded any special needs,” says Thalmann.

The fight against gentrification

The slum dwellers do not want to comment on Blick. Residents identify, among other things, with the “Everything is occupied” group from Zurich. This is fighting for more affordable housing in the city and campaigning against gentrification.

With their protest actions, they want to draw attention to the fact that the local population has been pushed out by wealthy residents during renovations and improvement of neighborhoods.

Foundation creates affordable housing for seniors

Thanks to the Rohn Salvisberg Foundation in Zurich, Petermann found a new affordable place to live despite all the odds. It offers apartments in Zurich with favorable conditions for the elderly. The foundation determines the rents of the tenants according to their income. Petermann is lucky to have one of these apartments for seniors. “This foundation saved me,” she says today.

The 79-year-old now lives about 100 meters from his old home. His story has a happy ending. But it’s not all for Petermann. “I will continue to campaign for more affordable housing in Zurich,” he says.

She still regularly drives past her old house while she walks her dog Bobbi. If he encounters one of the slums, give them a friendly hello. The struggle for more affordable housing has made unequal city dwellers allies.