By a decisive 59 votes to 40, Geneva’s Grand Council voted late Thursday to ease mandatory quotas for low-cost housing in development zones, a decision Le Temps reported, prompting immediate threats of a socialist referendum.
Rewriting the Rules in Development Zones and PAV
The parliamentary shift alters the general law on development zones by transforming a mandatory minimum floor of 16.5% for low-cost dwellings—known locally as habitations bon marché (HBM)—into a strict maximum ceiling. This reduction directly impacts the major Praille-Vernets-Acacias (PAV) urban expansion sector, where planners had previously designated a 24% share for cheap units.
Defending the legislative pivot, PLR lawmaker Jean-Pierre Pasquiers argued that the adjustments aim to foster social diversity rather than concentrated poverty. “Everyone wants mixed neighborhoods, not ghettos,” Pasquiers stated during the heated legislative debate, asserting that low-salaried families have become the forgotten casualties of current housing policies.
While the traditional “three-thirds” rule governing rental housing, public utility apartments, and condominiums remains technically intact, the legislative changes specifically target the public utility sector. The parliamentary right maintains that modifying these ratios will enable the construction of more moderate-rent apartments (habitations à loyer modéré, or HLM) and mixed-rate units.
Sébastien Desfayes of The Centre party echoed these economic justifications, pointing out that existing HBM allocations frequently remain entirely out of reach for struggling working-poor households. “The communes are denouncing an attack on social mixity. We must pay attention to balances,” Desfayes noted.
Political Backlash and the Threat of a Popular Vote
Opposing political factions forcefully rejected the policy shift, characterizing it as a blatant breach of a carefully negotiated political compromise on urban housing. Socialist deputy Caroline Marti moved quickly to challenge the outcome, announcing that her party stands prepared to launch a referendum against the newly passed legislation.
“The categories of housing in the PAV were validated by the population on two separate occasions,” Marti stated, signaling a protracted legal and political battle ahead. Countering the left’s warnings, PLR representative Murat-Julian Alder dismissed the permanence of the previous arrangements, stating flatly that the original housing accord “was not concluded for eternity.”
Executive opposition to the Grand Council's vote was swift.
According to Walder, dismantling the agreed-upon PAV framework will only exacerbate existing municipal bottlenecks. “It is going to be necessary to house these people,” Walder cautioned, emphasizing that official waiting lists for low-cost HBM units remain stubbornly long across the canton.
