In an article we published at the end of November 2022, we shared a study by Raiffeisen Bank, which warned of a future shortage of new housing, given the dynamic demographic growth of our beautiful country.

The Federal Minister of Economy, Mr. Guy Parmelin, has taken up this burning issue in an interview with the “SonntagsZeitung” in which he warns against the consequences of the housing shortage which can limit our economic development and generate socio-political tensions.

Densification projects through neighborhood plans or the densification of residential areas are struggling to be realized, because they meet with resistance. Guy Parmelin notes, for example, that the processing time for building permits has increased over the past 20 years, from 90 days to 150 days. The profession has been calling for several years for a simplification of the procedures for issuing permits and the limitation of dilatory appeals as is done in many countries.

It should be noted that this debate on opposition procedures is not only present in the field of residential real estate. The construction of new dams, the establishment of solar parks at high altitudes in the Alps or the realization of wind farms to generate green and local energy, also suffer from numerous legal obstacles.

The general interest of the population must be taken into consideration with the guarantee of easier access to new and sustainable housing. Let’s hope that the executive and the federal legislature will take, like the Minister, the right measure of the challenge that we must collectively take up to ensure the delivery of about 50’000 housing units per year, while we have only managed to deliver 46’000 units in 2021 and even less in 2022.

Source: 20min.ch