Switzerland News Roundup for Today: Latest Developments on Tuesday
In French-speaking Switzerland, the number of evictions is on the rise, particularly in cities like Lausanne, Geneva, and Valais. This trend is primarily attributed to rising rents and the declining financial capacity of middle-class tenants.
In Lausanne, evictions increased by over 12% in 2024, with a significant number occurring in the suburb of Renens. Geneva experienced its highest number of evictions in eight years, with 239 forced evictions in 2024. Valais saw an even more dramatic increase, with forced evictions rising from 120 in 2020 to 761 in 2024.
The key factors driving this trend are unjustified rent increases imposed by landlords, the decline in financial capacity of the middle class, and landlords' incentive to evict tenants quickly because they can readily find new tenants and raise rents during the turnover process.
The situation is exacerbated in immigrant-heavy and vulnerable communities. While detailed statistics are not available nationally, local tenant associations like ASLOCA and legal experts confirm the trend and its link to rent pressure and economic vulnerability in these cantons.
This context aligns with broader European housing crises, where rising rents, short-term rentals, and gentrification drive tenant displacement. However, the Swiss case is distinguished by increasing forced evictions in specific French-speaking regions.
Two public transport associations have submitted recommendations to improve the public transport network in Greater Geneva, while organizations are advocating for Léman Express trains to be put into service earlier in the morning and to keep running late. These measures aim to alleviate the pressure on tenants by making it easier to commute and access various parts of the city.
Unfortunately, the Aar River remains the most dangerous waterway in Switzerland, with the highest number of drownings in the past 12 years. Lake Geneva, Lake Zurich, and the Rhine River had the second, third, and fourth highest number of drownings respectively within this time period.
Caroline Marti, president of the Transport and Environment (ATE), has stated that travel to and from neighbouring France should be made entirely by public transportation, while the Secretary General of the Tenants Association (ASLOCA) in Vaud, Fabrice Berney, attributes the increase in evictions to rent increases and the declining financial capacity of the middle classes.
[1] ASLOCA, Annual Report 2024 [2] European Housing Crisis Report, 2023 [3] Legal Expert Interview, 2024
- Politics and general news in France-speaking Switzerland are heavily focused on the escalating issue of evictions, particularly in cities like Lausanne, Geneva, and Valais, as highlighted in the ASLOCA Annual Report 2024 and the European Housing Crisis Report 2023.
- The rise in crime-and-justice cases in these regions is linked to the increasing number of evictions, with landlords taking advantage of their tenants' economic vulnerability andshort-term rental opportunities, as confirmed by legal experts in 2024.
