Housing

Objectives

The housing policy of the canton is designed to improve the housing market in the canton. In particular, we aim to ensure that there is a sufficient supply of affordable housing on the market. This policy has several goals:

  • to make it easier for people on low income to find housing
  • to allow certain categories of the population (the disabled, the elderly, young people in training or education) to find housing suited to their particular needs
  • to encourage people to acquire their own houses or flats


The Role of the Canton

The canton does not always intervene in the housing sector in the same way. Its interventions depend very much on the situation on the housing market. The Canton can only assume a regulating role by the way in which it allocates subsidies. During periods with a housing shortage and very high mortgage rates, financial assistance is granted more easily, while in periods when the housing market is saturated, subsidies tend to fall.


Housing Service

It is the main task of the Housing Service to implement the current policy on housing subsidies. It manages federal aid provided for in the Law on the Development of New Housing and Home Ownership. In addition, it pays out subsidies granted by the Canton.
 

Current Overview

The Federal Law on Accessible Low-cost Housing (Fr. LOG) came into force on October 1, 2003 and includes, in particular, direct and indirect assistance toward the development of housing. However, as the federal fiscal restraint programme of 2003 suspended all direct assistance loans, current support is limited to indirect assistance only.

In the first instance, such indirect support is available as securities and loan guarantees, as well as loans intended for the operating costs of guiding organisations in the public housing construction industry.


Mediation in Matters of Housing

Rental agreement mediation boards are also active in the field of housing. These boards are managed by the Justice Service and oversee mediation activities in conflicts between tenants and landlords. More...


Contacting the Service

Service du logement
Rue Joseph-Piller 13
P.O. Box
1701 Fribourg

Phone: +41 (0)26 305 24 13
Fax: +41 (0)26 305 24 12
E-mail: slog@fr.ch

Director: Mr Martin Tinguely