Mettmenstetten
Dispute over the purchase of an asylum apartment for over one million Swiss francs
What to do with the asylum seekers? The municipality of Mettmenstetten wants to buy a 5.5-room apartment for over one million Swiss francs. There is resistance to this.
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The municipal council of Mettmenstetten wants to purchase the condominium in this house.
Luc Müller/Anzeiger from the Affoltern district
Due to the many asylum applications, accommodation is being sought throughout the country. In the picture a police barracks as asylum accommodation, taken on January 16th.
20min/Anna Bila
The migratory pressure on Switzerland continues, but the infrastructure is not keeping up and the federal accommodations are overburdened. The federal government must therefore switch to temporary infrastructure, especially in military buildings. This is the case at the Moudon barracks (VD), where a sports hall has been converted to accommodate 200 people.
20min/Marvin Ancian
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The municipality of Mettmenstetten has to take in more refugees by summer 2023.
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Because otherwise there would be no space and containers would be delivered too late, the municipality now wants to buy a 5.5-room apartment for over one million Swiss francs.
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There is resistance to this: 50 appeals have been received. The Mettmenstetter SVP demands that the population can have a say in the decision.
The many asylum seekers challenge Switzerland. The Zurich municipality of Mettmenstetten is also feeling the effects. So far, the municipality had to accommodate 50 asylum seekers. By the summer of 2023, 13 more will be added due to a new distribution key. To be able to meet this needthe community now wants to buy a 5.5-room apartment worth CHF 1.045 million.
The apartment offers around 130 square meters of living space and was built in 2003. “With the purchase, we are fulfilling our obligation to provide enough living space for refugees,” says Oliver Bär, managing director of the municipality of Mettmenstetten «Gazette from the Affoltern district». The municipality can currently only just accommodate the required number of refugees. However, depending on the family constellation, gender or age, it is not reasonable to occupy a maximum of asylum accommodation. A buffer of at least ten percent or five places is needed, according to the municipal council minutes.
According to the municipality, containers would come too late
The Setting up residential containers According to the municipality, it would take too long for those seeking protection due to the planning and delivery times. Mettmenstetten could not meet his legal obligations. In addition, buying an apartment is much easier on community finances than buying or renting container homes. Buying, installing and dismantling containers for 30 people would cost the municipality around 600,000 francs, calculates Oliver Bär. In addition, work lines and a foundation would have to be created – a building application would be necessary for this.
An apartment, on the other hand, can be bought and resold after the asylum crisis or used for other purposes. There is building land owned by the community on which the containers could stand. “But the municipal council does not want to create a concentrated container village,” says Bär. «Containers could probably only be obtained in the summer. However, we need additional places by the end of February. The containers are therefore not an option for us.”
Civil protection system only “temporary option”
In addition, the municipality is currently also examining whether, in the event of a further increase in the asylum quota, asylum seekers could be accommodated in a civil protection facility at short notice. However, this option is only intended as a temporary solution for a few months.
According to the “Affolter Anzeiger”, the municipal council decided on the loan required for this as a bound edition, i.e. without the municipal assembly being able to vote on it. The loan was published on February 3, and appeals against it could be filed for five days. The citizens have made diligent use of this: over 50 appeals have been received by the Affoltern district council.
SVP wants to let the people have a say
The SVP Mettmenstetten has also appealed. “For us, it’s basically about the fact that people’s rights are respected,” explains Christoph Niederer, Vice President of SVP Mettmenstetten. “We see the challenge that the community has to provide housing for asylum seekers. But the people should be able to have a say in this deal given its scope.” The timing of the disputed investment is lacking. There would have been enough time to present the business and in particular a measure of this magnitude to the municipal assembly.
“Instead of buying an apartment, renting would also be an option, instead of a single 5.5-room condominium, renting or buying smaller apartments would be considered.” Other alternatives, such as containers or conversions, would also have to be evaluated with the involvement of the public. “Accordingly, contrary to the opinion of the municipal council, the planned acquisition of the condominium is not a bound issue.”