A new proposal in Zurich would see locals and long-term residents given priority when looking for a new house or apartment to rent. The idea's backers say that it would boost construction and ease shortages, while others have questioned whether the plan is legal.

Housing priority to locals debated by Zurich parliament

At the beginning of March, the Zurich branch of FDP. The Liberals submitted a new motion to the cantonal parliament that called for long-term residents to be given priority when applying for new homes. The idea would allow both the city itself and local councils throughout the region to apply the rules in both private and public housing developments.

Two ideas are currently being debated. The first is that authorities be given the right to add a “local bonus” clause when authorising housing developments - where giving priority to locals is a requirement for the project to be approved. Under the other plan, early access to housing applications would be granted to people who have lived near the development for at least five years.

In the motion, the FDP asked the government whether the local bonus would be permissible under law. The proposal follows a similar plan from the Swiss People’s Party, which was accepted by the Zurich City Parliament at the end of January. Under that plan, people who have lived in Zurich for two years or lived in the city for 10 of the last 15 years would be given priority when applying for city-run affordable homes.

Locals still wary of new housing projects in Zurich

In the motion, the FDP argued that despite the ongoing housing shortage and resulting sky-high rental costs, new housing developments in Zurich are often met with suspicion. They argued that new homes are built with new arrivals earning high salaries in mind and that housing conversions and renovations are being used to turf out long-term residents and charge higher rents once the work is complete.

This was seen most vividly during the Sugus House scandal in December 2024, when over 250 residents of the Röntgenareal were told to pack their bags ahead of mass renovations. With asking rents in Zurich having risen so dramatically in the last few years, once the renovated homes are re-let, it is unlikely that the current tenants will be able to afford the higher price. “This is about returns. It is about optimising profits,” real estate economist Christian Brunner said at the time.

Therefore, the FDP argued that automatically giving priority to long-term residents would boost local support for new projects and cut down on NIMBYism. 

Questions remain on giving locals priority for housing

Naturally, it is currently unclear whether giving prospective residents priority in rental accommodations is legal, and opposition in parliament is expected to be fierce. In response, the FDP said it saw the proposal as a way of opening up discussions about the contentious issue.

Others have questioned its practicality, with commentators noting that a similar idea in Geneva - which only allowed long-term residents to buy a house in certain parts of the city - created a wave of legal challenges. The plan itself was heavily criticised, as it did not allow Genevans who had temporarily moved away to apply for new homes.

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