The family has been desperately searching for a wheelchair accessible apartment for months.

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“We gradually came under pressure to look for an apartment,” Helen Z.* (54) tells Blick. The family from the canton of Zurich, along with their wife David Z.* (51) and their daughter Anta* (9), have been desperately looking for an apartment in Biel BE for the past few months.

The search in the already tense housing market has been made more difficult by the fact that Anta has been handicapped several times since her birth and is wheelchair dependent. He can only walk a few steps with support. The family already has a school in Biel for the new school year.

Lack of affordable, wheelchair-accessible housing

The bilingual family, formerly living in Biel, has been living for CHF 1,598 in a three and a half bedroom apartment on the ground floor in the canton of Zurich since 2008. However, for various reasons the family wants to return to Biel. The couple thought it would be easier to find an apartment. “Either the apartments were too expensive or they were not suitable for Anta. We don’t need luxury, but the flat must be wheelchair accessible and can cost no more than 1,500 francs.”

The high rents for wheelchair accessible apartments were also confirmed by Urs Schnyder, a housing consultant at Procap, the largest member association for the disabled in Switzerland. “These apartments are usually more expensive because they are mostly new buildings. Also, despite the Equal Opportunities Act, there are still very few barrier-free flats,” explains Schnyder. Schnyder knows that many homeowners are not aware that any costs for structural adjustments and their removal are borne by the IV and thus often hinder interested parties, and in this context, Procap refers to the construction advice provided.

The reluctance of the administrations due to ignorance

Helen Z. also experienced this while looking for an apartment. During several apartment visits, the family no longer drew attention to Anta’s disability and responded to “regular” apartment advertisements. Helen Z: “With a few structural measures, such as a ramp at the entrance of the house, the apartments might have been suitable for us, but the administrations were reluctant.”

After much effort and research, the family found what they were looking for in Biel Mett. They can sign the lease for their new home this week. Monthly rental fee is 1380 francs. “We even have four rooms now. The apartment is equipped with the latest technology and adjustments can be made on request, for example the shower,” says Helen Z.

The family is happy that Anta, like all the other children, can start her new class in the new school year. Her husband, a socio-cultural animator and a trained cheese maker, are not worried about finding a new tenant for their apartment in the canton of Zurich: “The apartment is simple, but in a great location and at a reasonable price. We will find new tenants immediately.”

*Names changed by editors

Source : Blick