Uprising in Zurich over fear of eviction: 39 tenants oppose sale of property

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A letter from real estate agent Walde changes her life. Tenants of 39 flats in six houses in Zurich-Wollishofen learned that their homes were sold. “We were very surprised and shocked,” Rebekka Schönenberger (36) tells Blick. She is a primary school teacher and has been living in the settlement with her husband and one child for over three years.

Schönenberger pays just under 2,400 francs a month for his three-room flat and hobby room. The cheapest flat in the house; is getting old. Schönenberger says on his behalf: “We cannot find anything similar at this price in Zurich.”

fear of eviction

What the residents of the six properties are experiencing is the nightmare of many tenants in the city of Zurich. Aging residential buildings are advertised for sale and often an institutional investor is involved. Since living space is scarce, the building is densified and built higher, creating space for more living space in the existing space.

The same will probably happen in Wollishofen. Residents fear that the houses will be replaced by luxury apartments. Brokers strive to achieve maximum returns. This means that old tenants need to leave, and new tenants need a bigger wallet.

Wollishofen residents have been living with exactly this fear for seven months. This includes seniors who have lived here for 55 years. There are also many teenagers and parents of younger and older children.

resort to politics

They submitted a petition to the city of Zurich yesterday, Wednesday. 4,400 signatures were collected in two months. Here, six apartment buildings are requested to be sold to the city of Zurich, the PWG Foundation or another non-profit housing developer. “We want to set an example with the petition,” says Schönenberger. “People like us have been driven away from Zurich for years, we want to prevent this!” They also see the petition as a call to politicians: “More affordable housing is needed in Zurich.”

That’s not the only petition the city is receiving these days. Recently, residents of a housing estate in Zurich’s Heuried district submitted a similar petition with 6,200 signatures.

Tenants are resisting

Current figures from the city of Zurich show how many city residents are affected by such a scenario. For a long time, the majority of apartment buildings in the city were in private hands. This summer the situation changed. For the first time in history, real estate companies own more apartments than private individuals. 76,908 flats belong to institutional investors such as pension funds, insurance companies or private real estate companies. Companies that prioritize high returns.

“Once the initial shock wore off, we started to organize ourselves,” says Schönenberger. They write a letter to the current owners of the properties, two brothers from central Switzerland. For example, they are asking the owners to consider selling it to the city of Zurich. Landlords’ response: They are aware of the current housing shortage and the possibility of a new building. And the intensification will offer “beautiful homes for twice as many people as before.”

It is not yet clear who the buyer will be and how much the rents will increase. “But if you sell to a profit-oriented buyer, only high-income people will be able to afford the new apartments,” notes Schönenberger.

Blick made efforts to contact the current owners but all attempts were unsuccessful.

Tender process for residences

Realtor Walde never publicly advertised the six properties. Also, he doesn’t have to do this. However, only those in the luxury real estate agent’s client base were able to view the properties. Views have already occurred. It is unclear whether this involves the city of Zurich or a non-profit organization. A tenant reported that Xania company was looking at the site. One of the real estate companies that local people fear. They tear down affordable housing and build luxury apartments.

Residents don’t know if a buyer is currently available. Walde does not want to comment to Blick on this matter. “We do not provide any information about current authorizations,” it says upon request. One thing is clear: there must be a tender process. This means whoever pays the most for the homes gets the contract.

Residents want to continue defending themselves. The dedication of the last few months has brought families and elderly people in Wollishofen together. The neighborhood became a community. Time will tell whether they can prevent the impending deportation and whether the city of Zurich will be receptive. One thing is clear: there is no recourse against the sale of a property by tender by a private owner.

Source :Blick