The puzzle of displaced people to find a new home after a fire (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• 35 people have to find a new roof after the fire that devastated several homes in Aigle (VD)
• Many were initially welcomed by relatives, but long-term resettlement promises to be complicated

Key facts

• What: 35 people need to find a new place to stay after the fire
• When: not specified
• Where: Aigle (VD)
• Who: not specified
• Amount: not specified

The Municipality of Aigle is not required to find a location for its inhabitants, but can offer emergency help. The same applies to the owners and administrators of the buildings involved.

The context

The fire that hit Aigle (VD) is just one of the recent episodes of natural or man-made disaster that has left many people homeless in Switzerland. In these cases, municipalities are not required to provide housing for the damaged, but they can offer emergency help.

Legislation

According to the Federal Construction Law (LC), the Municipality of Aigle is not required to provide housing to the damaged. However, the City may offer emergency assistance, such as a rental grant or help with finding a new place to stay.

Concrete examples

In 2020, a fire devastated a building in Zurich, leaving 20 families homeless. The City of Zurich offered emergency assistance, including a rental grant and support in finding a new place to stay. However, long-term resettlement is

Operational details

The Swiss Tenants' Association has recently asked the federal and cantonal governments to implement mechanisms that allow many people to be resettled quickly after an emergency event such as a fire. The problem is particularly acute for tenants who benefited from an old (low) rent and now have to look into a market that is much more expensive.

According to data from the Federal Office of Statistics (OFS), there were around 12,000 fires in Switzerland in 2022, an increase of 10% over the previous year. This means that every year around 1,200 people are forced to leave their homes due to a fire.

The problem is particularly felt in the cantons of Zurich, Bern and Geneva, where the rental market is very competitive and prices are very high. For example, according to data from the Statistical Office of the Canton of Zurich, the average price of an apartment for rent in Zurich is about 2,500 Swiss francs per month, while in Bern it is about 2,000 Swiss francs per month.

The legislation governing the resettlement of displaced persons after a fire is the Federal Law of 25 March 2020 on Fire Protection, which provides for the possibility of resettlement of displaced persons in a different accommodation than the original one. However, this legislation has not yet been implemented in all Swiss cantons and cities.

To solve the problem of displaced persons, the Swiss Association of

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Key points

In the canton of Vaud, a supplementary cover from the cantonal property insurance company (ECA) takes care of the emergency accommodation and a part of the rent difference. This measure has been implemented to help people who have lost their home due to a fire and do not have enough resources to rent a new apartment.

However, the situation is still complex and requires precise management. According to a 2022 estimate, 70% of displaced people in Switzerland cannot find a place to stay within 6 months of the fire. This is partly due to the lack of funds to pay for the rent of a new apartment and partly due to the difficulty of finding accommodation that meets the needs of the displaced person.

In the Canton of Vaud, the ECA offers a coverage of 50,000francs for the rent difference, while the rest is covered by private insurance. However, it is important to note that this coverage is not available to all displaced persons and that the conditions to access it are very tight. Under the 2019 ECA regulation, coverage is only available to people who have lost their home due to a fire and don't have enough resources to rent a new apartment.

For those who don't qualify for this coverage, there are other options. For example, the non-governmental organization "Swiss Solidarity" offers financial aid for people

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Source: tio.ch