The National Council will loosen the restrictions on second homes.
Published: Tuesday, Sep 26th 2023, 10:13
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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The Swiss National Council has voted to loosen restrictions on housing construction in communities with a high number of second homes. Buildings constructed before the 2012 vote in favour of the Second Home Initiative should be able to be demolished and rebuilt with extensions. This would allow for more modern housing to be built for locals. The Council voted 105 to 80 in favour of the proposal, with 8 abstentions and against the wishes of the SP, GLP and Green parties. The proposal would allow for old buildings in communities with more than 20% second homes to be extended and divided, creating additional housing. This would not necessarily lead to more second homes, according to Nicolò Paganini of the Urek-N. Christine Bulliard-Marbach also argued that current regulations do not allow owners in the 342 affected communities to decide how to use their buildings. A red-green minority opposed the proposal, arguing that it would go against the constitutional article to limit the number of second homes. Kurt Egger of the Greens argued that it would create an incentive for demolitions and new builds, while Beat Flach of the GLP argued that it would put pressure on first homes. The proposal was ultimately accepted, although the Council voted against a proposal from the Federal Council to make any additional housing created from extensions and rebuilds first homes. Michael Graber of the SVP argued that those not affected should not dictate how those affected should live. In summary, the Swiss National Council has voted to loosen restrictions on housing construction in communities with a high number of second homes. This would allow for old buildings to be extended and divided, creating additional housing. The proposal was accepted despite opposition from a red-green minority, who argued that it would go against the constitutional article to limit the number of second homes.
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