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“Nothing should stand in the way of your perfect Engiadina Home,” says the website for Trais Sulais, the luxury development under construction in Celerina GR. You can see images of a development that promises unlimited luxury: a private lounge, wine cellar, private spa and home theater. If your wallet is big enough, there is no limit to the material comforts you can afford. The condominium is being marketed by luxury real estate agent Wüst und Wüst.
However, for local people, this leaves a bad taste in the mouth. In order for the project to be implemented, 22 rented households in the region had to leave their homes. Many were deprived not only of their homes but also of their homes.
Celerina GR is a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts. St. Located right next to St. Moritz, Celerina offers one of the largest ski areas in Switzerland. In the summer of 2022, the mountain community made headlines for other reasons. The Chesa Faratscha residential complex, which houses 22 rental households, was to be completely renovated and converted into luxury apartments.
Meanwhile, Blick talked to desperate tenants. There was a great fear that if they had to evacuate, they would not be able to find anything affordable in their hometown. At the beginning of June 2022, the new owner of the property, Neue Haus AG, informed residents about the ambitious plans. Affected tenants fought back. They reached out to society and the media. Since then, the Chesa Faratscha project in Celerina (currently marketed under the name Trais Sulais) has come to symbolize the severe housing shortage that local people in Switzerland’s mountainous regions have to struggle with.
For a short time, it appeared that local people in Celerina could make a difference. The community announced that they wanted to find new solutions. The municipal board issued a planning district, a form of construction ban, for the entire municipal area.
But it is now clear: the local uprising has not yielded results. Just six months later, the construction ban was lifted. In December 2022, a new housing support law was approved by the city council. The law is intended to create more affordable housing for local people.
So far, so good. However, in order to create affordable living space, the planning zone in question had to be abolished. And with that, the municipality authorized Neue Haus AG to start construction of its luxury project. Thus, the fate of the inhabitants was determined.
The municipality rejected two objections to the planning application. The Helvetia Nostras Foundation filed a complaint against the decision of the city council with the Administrative Court of Grisons. The foundation is closely linked to the Franz Weber Foundation, which launched the national second home initiative in 2006 against the construction of endless second homes.
Since the second homes initiative went into effect, new second homes may no longer be built in communities with a vacation home share of 20 percent or more. The law aims to limit the number of cold beds in tourist facilities. Fair: The law does not restrict the conversion of primary residences into second residences.
“The magnitude of such transformations should not be underestimated,” says Norbert Hörburger (50), professor at the FHGR of the Graubeğen University of Applied Sciences. The FHGR Institute for Tourism and Leisure examined the conversion of first homes into second homes in the municipalities of Graubeğen.
Result: In the studied municipality of Flims, an average of 22 first homes are converted into second homes every year. And this despite the fact that the share of second homes in the community is already 70 percent.
“The problem affects basically all tourist mountain communities,” says Hörburger. Such conversions accumulate over the years and push primary residences out of the housing market. “As a result, the housing shortage in the affected communities could become much worse,” says Hörburger.
If vacancy rates in tourist resorts in Switzerland are as low as they are now, locals and seasonal workers will no longer have many options when looking for apartments. “We are not talking about affordable housing yet,” says Hörburger. The situation threatens the existence of low-income earners. (dvo)
Since the second homes initiative went into effect, new second homes may no longer be built in communities with a vacation home share of 20 percent or more. The law aims to limit the number of cold beds in tourist facilities. Fair: The law does not restrict the conversion of primary residences into second residences.
“The magnitude of such transformations should not be underestimated,” says Norbert Hörburger (50), professor at the FHGR of the Graubeğen University of Applied Sciences. The FHGR Institute for Tourism and Leisure examined the conversion of first homes into second homes in the municipalities of Graubeğen.
Result: In the studied municipality of Flims, an average of 22 first homes are converted into second homes every year. And this despite the fact that the share of second homes in the community is already 70 percent.
“The problem affects basically all tourist mountain communities,” says Hörburger. Such conversions accumulate over the years and push primary residences out of the housing market. “As a result, the housing shortage in the affected communities could become much worse,” says Hörburger.
If vacancy rates in tourist resorts in Switzerland are as low as they are now, locals and seasonal workers will no longer have many options when looking for apartments. “We are not talking about affordable housing yet,” says Hörburger. The situation threatens the existence of low-income earners. (dvo)
Neue Haus AG confirmed to Blick that the objection is still ongoing. But his new owner isn’t letting that slow him down. The scaffolding of the housing project in Celerina has now been erected. Blick knows: The renovation is already underway. “We are confident that the building permit issued by the Celerina community board is legal,” says Jörg Röthlisberger, communications manager of Neue Haus AG, when asked.
The 22 rental apartments in the three buildings will be replaced by 14 luxury apartments in the upper class. For the last few months all tenants have had to look for a new home. Only three of them found something new in Celerina. Everyone had to leave the community.
“We live in the Lower Engadine now,” says one tenant who wishes to remain anonymous. She found an apartment here with her husband, but she doesn’t want to stay. The tenant lived in Chesa Faratscha for more than 20 years and raised his children in Celerina. “Our social circle is in Celerina,” says the native of Grisons. She isn’t giving up and hopes to find something in her old home at some point.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
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