Housing crisis in Geneva
A law forcing to provide convertible offices is canceled
The Grand Council wanted the offices to be built by providing for a potential transformation into housing. Veto of justice.
Geneva, May 19, 2023. Photos of the construction of the Chêne-Bourg station.
Magali Girardin
Should we in development zone, the offices are planned by providing for a possible conversion to housing without major work? Not according to the constitutional chamber, which canceled a loi adopted in 2024 by the Grand Council. Voted by the left, LJS and the MCG, it provided for such an obligation to limit the housing crisis.
According to “Le Temps”justice has accepted an appeal carried by the Geneva Immobilière Chamber (CGI). “The measure does not respect the principle of proportionality. It is therefore contrary to the guarantee of property and economic freedom, ”according to the judgment of June 26.
For what? Because the “likely” additional costs of 15% would strike too much the yield of a project.
Conversion impossible
In addition, these hybrid buildings “may be little adapted to each type of construction”, and therefore to lose in quality. Examples: the northern orientation brings the best light to work but is not very conducive to accommodation, the oversized elevators of the offices are useless for accommodation, etc. Not to mention noise or security issues, which often make an transformation impossible or not desirable, making the law “weakly fit” to achieve its objective.
Its author, the green Philippe de Rougemont, says it is “very disappointed”: “There are almost 300,000 m² of empty officeswe listened to the professionals according to whom the conversions are very complicated, failing to have been planned upstream. For example, the law did not envisage baths, but the pipes to add them then. ”
He criticizes the Council of State for having renounced writing a regulation specifying the terms and exceptions, without which the law “is actually disproportionate”. Moreover, a minority judge considers that the appeal should have been rejected precisely because the Council of State could ensure that the principle of proportionality is respected. The Greens will come back with a new more precise project.
Moratorium
A rules would have changed anything, rejects Christophe Aumeunier, secretary general of the CGI. Because “the localized neighborhood plans (PLQ), very strict, prevent conversions”. Consequently, for lack of guarantee that a conversion will be authorized, it is disproportionate to oblige to provide double -use buildings.
He recommends trusting the private people to anticipate future conversions when they are rational. And soften the PLQs.
Philippe de Rougemont calls for a moratorium on the construction of offices. What jeopardize the economic development of the canton and its prosperity, replies Christophe Aumeunier.
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