Housing as Public Good or Market Opportunity: Swiss Postwar Housing Policy in Comparative Perspective

Florian Müller, University of Zurich

The traditional narrative of postwar housing policy is one of extensive state intervention. Explanations of the extension of housing as a social policy then echoes the parallel rise of the welfare state. As underscored by many researchers, this dynamic petered out and was increasingly challenged by the 1970s, a period that witnessed the return of market principles and forces in the housing domain. The development of postwar Swiss housing fits neither in this narrative of increasing state intervention, nor in its periodization. On the contrary, in the Swiss case, the pushback against state regulation and the of housing as a social policy already took place immediately after World War II. As in many other countries, the Swiss federal state implemented measures to regulate rents and subsidize housing construction during World War II. Yet, by the 1950s, these measures had been strongly dismantled and the private rental market again dominated the housing construction boom. Both social housing and federal state support for homeownership remained underdeveloped. Housing policy remained largely in the hands of states and municipalities. These sub-national entities had limited legal planning instruments and financial means to control urban development. This situation enabled real estate interests to successfully challenge state intervention and avoid extensive expansion. As a result of this configuration, social housing played only a subsidiary role, the private rental market dominated the scene and home-ownership rates lagged in comparison to those observed in Western Europe. Investigating this peculiar trajectory does not only shed light on the specificities of the Swiss housing system, but also may provide us with important comparative insights on postwar housing policy in Western Europe and the United States. This paper, based on extensive archival research, attempts to address both of these issues.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 179. Housing Policy in the Late 20th Century