The discussion paper “Une pénurie fait maison. Le malaise immobilier genevois: ses causes, ses remèdes” by Marco Salvi shows that there are more sensible approaches to solving the housing crisis than curbing economic growth. More than anywhere else, the problems in Geneva are homemade: the real estate market is the most heavily regulated in Switzerland – but at the same time it is the area with the least construction. In an effort to achieve a “fair price” for land and rents that is doomed to failure, the Geneva system hampers construction projects and overrides market mechanisms. The housing shortage created in this way affects the population’s quality of life.
The paper continues the tradition of earlier Avenir Suisse publications, “Le feu au lac” and “Wanderung, Wohnen und Wohlstand“. Using the example of Geneva, “Une pénurie fait maison” proposes a combination of fundamental approaches and practical solutions to address a housing crisis that threatens to jeopardise the development of the entire Geneva metropolitan area in the future.
