30 tenants given notice Salvation Army does not receive building permit in Geroldswil ZH - apartments empty
Four blocks of apartments with 30 apartments are empty in the Fahrweid district in Geroldswil ZH - even though affordable housing is in short supply in the canton of Zurich. The Salvation Army gave notice to all tenants, but there is still no building permit for the planned replacement buildings.
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- In Geroldswil ZH, four blocks of flats with 30 affordable apartments are empty after the Salvation Army gave notice to all tenants - despite the lack of a building permit for the planned replacement building.
- The new building with 45 apartments has been delayed due to adjustments to the building and zoning regulations, and approval is not expected until the coming weeks.
- Although the new apartments are expected to be below market price, they will be more expensive and the existing tenants will not be entitled to return.
There is a housing shortage in Switzerland. The sight in Geroldswil ZH seems all the more bleak: four run-down apartment blocks stand empty, reports "Blick". The shutters are down, the windows are dark - and there are no builders around. Yet affordable living space is in short supply in the canton of Zurich.
All 30 tenants had to leave by the end of February at the latest. This was the Salvation Army's demand in a termination letter that those affected received at the end of October 2024. At the time, it said that replacement buildings were already being planned.
Fear of nothingness
Tenants were already reporting shock and existential fears last summer. The apartments cost between 670 and 1680 francs net, depending on the size - one- to four-room apartments, affordable for many, for some the last chance on the open market.
"If things turn out really badly and I don't find anything by February 2026, the end of the line for me will be camping," said one resident at the time. At least he found a new place to stay at the last minute.
Another tenant was also lucky: "My daughter and I found an apartment nearby, even a cooperative apartment." A senior citizen from the block has also moved - "I'm very happy", he tells Blick.
No building permit - but termination anyway
What leaves many former residents stunned is that the Salvation Army still has no building permit for the replacement buildings. This means that construction cannot even begin. This was confirmed by the aid organization at the request of "Blick". The new building has been delayed indefinitely.
The blocks date back to the 1960s and are in need of renovation. The plan is to increase the density: instead of 30, 45 apartments are to be built in future. This will require adjustments to the building volume and utilization of the plot, explains Simon Bucher, spokesman for the Salvation Army.
"As we had to wait a few months for the partial revision of the building and zoning regulations, there were delays to our project." Only then could the planning application be submitted. It is expected that approval will be granted in the next few weeks.
New apartments - higher rents
One thing is already clear: the new apartments will be more expensive. How high the rents will be remains to be seen. "However, rents should remain below market prices," assures Bucher. The "Wohngarten" project is designed as a communal form of housing.
The existing tenants do not have the right of first refusal on an apartment in the new building. According to the Salvation Army, however, all of them have found a follow-up solution. The organization will remain open to people in difficult life situations in the future.
Nevertheless, a bitter aftertaste remains in the neighborhood: 30 affordable apartments gone - and no replacement in sight for the time being.