Despite the housing crisis: the National Council does not want new rental measures

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The Federal Council only needs to consider whether construction activity can be promoted through costly objections. The National Council adopted a corresponding postulate without opposition.

A problem with high rents is the housing shortage, says postulant Leo Müller (Centre/LU). The number of new construction projects is declining, partly because new construction can be prevented through cheap objections. The Federal Council should therefore investigate whether the legal basis for a “moderate cost risk” for objections can be created to prevent unnecessary objections. The government has agreed to this.

The other claims had no chance. The SP demanded regular rent checks. “The rental development situation is dramatic,” says Jacqueline Badran (SP/ZH). Since 2008, rents have only increased, even though the mortgage interest rates to which the rents are linked have fallen. This means that rents should also have fallen. Periodic checks are therefore necessary.

No moratorium

The SP also called for a moratorium on rent increases. This is a massive and deliberate violation of the law, emphasizes Christian Dandrès (SP/GE). The moratorium is one solution. This should apply until automatic checking of the maximum allowable yield is implemented. The two proposals were rejected by 111 votes to 75, 3 abstentions and 122 votes to 68 respectively.

Balthasar Glättli (Greens/ZH) wanted to promote affordable housing on a non-profit basis. It is incomprehensible that even existing instruments are not being used, he said. The Spatial Planning Act already provides for measures that can promote affordable and non-profit housing. You just have to implement the measures. But he was not heard either. The council voted against the motion by 103 votes to 85, with one abstention.

Problems with construction

Martina Bircher (SVP/AG) took a different, unsurprising approach: “Let’s also talk about the cause of the excessively high rents – about the record immigration to Switzerland.” Switzerland grew by 180,000 inhabitants last year. All these people would need space.

Bircher demanded that termination of housing should not be legal if such termination serves to house asylum seekers or temporarily admitted people. The council rejected this by 136 votes to 53.

In the parliamentary groups, votes for or against the motions differed along party lines. Beat Walti (FDP/ZH) – the chairman of the Swiss real estate association – pointed out the problems with construction. The duration of the building permit process would have doubled. There are also more and more rules that prevent new projects, for example in the field of noise protection or environmental protection.

On the other hand, Michael Töngi (Greens/LU) – in his turn as president of the tenants’ association – said that the increase in rents once again affected those who were already not well financially supported: since 2008, housing costs for homeowners have has been increased by approximately 200 francs, for tenants by approximately 600 francs. Someone should be able to explain that.

GLP representative Beat Flach (AG) said that stopping the march was not possible, but that something could be done in small steps. The development of domestic settlements should be promoted and the flow of construction regulations should be reduced.

For the middle “little effective”

For the center faction, there was “little valuable” on the table on Wednesday, as Nicolò Paganini (SG) said. The SP’s progress is not a medicine, but an additional poison. Because they would drive away investors – but they need it. Only increasing supply can keep rents in check as demand increases.

Federal councilor Guy Parmelin referred to the challenges of construction. That is why he convened a round table to discuss these problems. A working group was tasked with developing an action plan. This is currently being consulted and is expected to be adopted next year. He will also submit further proposals to the Federal Council in the coming weeks.

(SDA)

Source:Blick