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According to a study, around 300,000 single-family homes in Switzerland are underutilized.
Image: Imago / Keystone / Bildmontage blue News
About 300,000 single-family homes in Switzerland are underutilized—mostly occupied by older people who don’t want to move out. Now the federal government is taking a closer look at baby boomers’ homes. A national study aims to determine how much living space can be freed up as a result.
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Around 300,000 single-family homes in Switzerland are underoccupied and, according to the Federal Office for Housing, are inhabited by an “increasingly older population.” Many of these homes are “barely suitable for independent living in old age”—too large, too expensive to maintain, and often poorly connected to public transportation. And yet, most owners are not moving out.
As a Raiffeisen study revealed back in August 2025, the relocation rate among homeowners of retirement age is just 1.5 percent —and this figure hardly changes even as they get older. A ZKB analysis in early 2026 showed that homeowners often don’t truly let go of their property until they reach the age of 85 —frequently not by choice, but because health limitations make daily life difficult.
Now the federal government is taking a more concrete approach. As reported by the“Blick,”the Federal Office for Housing plans to conduct a national study to systematically examine the development potential of single-family home neighborhoods. In addition to the federal government, the cantons of Bern and Baselland, as well as the municipalities of Burgdorf, Thun, and Binningen, are participating. The results are expected by the end of 2026.
The goal is to establish a “data-driven foundation for the forward-looking transformation of single-family home neighborhoods”—with a focus on demographic change, renovation needs, and potential for densification. According to the Federal Office, there are “often considerable building reserves” in centrally located single-family home areas.
Helvetia’s new housing report, which blue News covered on Monday, shows that a shift in thinking would have an impact. According to the study, when “Best Agers” vacate their large apartments or houses, these are much more frequently occupied by families—the share rises from around 12 to 36 percent. Researcher Michael Hermann of Sotomo notes that additional moves by this age group make “an important contribution to distributing existing housing more efficiently.”
The real obstacle here is not so much the affordable rent in the existing housing stock—but home ownership itself. According to the Helvetia report, homeowners move over 60 percent less frequently than renters.
Harsh measures, such as taxes based on living space or restrictions on home ownership, are unlikely to gain political traction. The federal government is therefore focusing on voluntary approaches: For example, the Federal Office for Housing supports the MetamorpHouse association, which helps homeowners convert their single-family homes into several smaller apartments.
Meanwhile, the discussion about whether seniors take up “too much” living space is sparking heated debates—as the reactions from blue News readers show. While some spoke of “pure selfishness,” others pointed to decades of hard work and sacrifice. Many agreed: Without an increase in housing supply and better housing policy, the conflict will not be resolved.
