“Access to home ownership is blocked,” he said in an interviewExternal link with the NZZ am Sonntag. He is therefore calling for tax incentives to be introduced.
“Switzerland does not encourage home ownership, even though it is a constitutional mandate,” Neff said, adding that in recent years homeowners have even been penalised fiscally because of the rental value.
He advocated the adoption of a qualified right of objection to building projects. “Anyone submitting an appeal must be able to prove a material interest and not just an ideological one,” he said.
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Voters reject ‘affordable housing’ initiative
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Swiss voters have rejected a people’s initiative to promote more affordable housing.
To those hoping for the property bubble to burst so that they can buy a home, the economist warned that they were betting on the wrong horse. “A crash would mean prices collapsing by double figures in a short space of time. I see absolutely no danger of that.”
Demand currently far outstrips supply, he said. “Prices cannot fall. Anyone who finds something they like and can afford should go for it.”
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Home ownership remains a mirage for most Swiss
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Many Swiss dream of owning a single-family home in the countryside. For most, this dream is increasingly unrealistic.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Zurich arbitration authority rules in favour of tenants of ‘Sugus Houses’
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A conciliation authority says the terminations of 105 flat leases in the so-called "Sugus Houses" in the centre of Zurich were abusive. The tenants therefore do not have to move out - at least for the time being.
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Visitors to Switzerland spent CHF19.6 billion ($23.9 billion) last year, a 2.2% rise compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday.
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Despite the current tense economic situation, Swiss consumer sentiment remains positive. The Swiss spent more money in May than the previous year, particularly on restaurant visits and leisure activities, as shown by the latest figures released by PostFinance.
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A bear killed four sheep in the Lower Engadine region near Scuol, canton Graubünden, last week. This was the first bear attack on local livestock in four years.
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Experts believe that economic development in Switzerland will be weaker in 2026 than the forecasts made three months ago. They have also lowered their predictions for the current year.
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Fewer people in Switzerland have a religious affiliation and the proportion who practice their religion regularly is steadily declining, a survey finds.
Study: trees have major cooling effect even in extreme heat
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Plane trees in cities have an important cooling effect even in extreme heat, according to a new study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
EPFL launches digitised version of Battle of Murten panorama
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To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Murten on 22 June 1476, the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) has launched a website that offers the public an immersive experience of the huge panorama painting of the historic battle.
77th Swiss Gymnastics Festival praised for ‘positive energy’
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The 77th Federal Gymnastics Festival drew to a close on Sunday in Lausanne, after eleven days of popular celebration and sporting performances.
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Swiss property market faces bleak future despite record values
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The Covid-19 pandemic has failed to rattle the Swiss property market. But the war in Ukraine and rising interest rates could turn the tide.
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