Hornbach housing estate in Zurich: raffle for cheap urban apartments

The application deadline for the affordable urban apartments at the Hornbach estate in Zurich’s Seefeld expired yesterday. A total of 10,583 applications were received in one week. Now the random number generator starts. According to Kuno Gurtner, spokesman for the property department of the city of Zurich, the acceptances and rejections will be sent today.

Because only a fraction of all applicants will be able to see affordable apartments near downtown. Of the more than 10,000 applicants, 630 received the green light from the random generator today. They will then need to apply for a total of 105 apartments. Another 20 units will be rented directly: to the Zurich Asylum Organization, to the disabled or former urban tenants who have to change apartments because income or the number of people in the household has changed.

Apartments in the Hornbach housing estate are in high demand. The reason: there won’t be such cheap city apartments in Switzerland anytime soon. 4.5-room apartments with an area of ​​95-107 square meters cost between 1580 and 1739 francs per month. If the apartment is also subsidized, the price is even lower, from 1372 to 1465 francs. That’s around half or even just a third of the market rents in this part of Zurich.

Residential development should ensure a better social mix in Seefeld. Consequently, the award is subject to certain conditions. Among other things, there is a minimum occupancy requirement per apartment and an income limit. There are also a number of eligibility criteria: The goal is to create a socially diverse population, with special attention to families and disadvantaged individuals in the housing market.