In Switzerland, some housing communities have a rule: if your home has, say, five rooms, at least four people need to live there. If your kids move out and you’re left with too much space, you’re asked to either move to a smaller place or share your home. This might sound like an invasion of privacy—but in some parts of Switzerland, people actually support this idea.
Occupancy requirements, which mandate a minimum number of residents per dwelling (typically, number of rooms minus one), are a rare example of sufficiency policies implemented successfully. These rules are often seen as intrusive or unfair in many policy contexts. However, Lage finds that in Swiss housing cooperatives, such policies are widely accepted and perceived as fair, needs-oriented, and legitimate. Through 24 qualitative interviews with residents and administrative staff, Lage shows that legitimacy stems from a combination of structural, cultural, and procedural factors.
A key finding is that legitimacy is grounded in a sense of needs-based justice. Residents see the rules not as arbitrary limitations, but as fair mechanisms to ensure that living space is distributed according to need, especially in contexts of housing scarcity. The obligation for cooperatives to provide alternative housing when relocation is required also contributes to the perception of fairness. Additionally, residents appreciated the cooperative’s efforts to support downsizing with sensitivity and respect.
The cooperative model itself plays a critical role in legitimizing these rules. Characteristics like co-ownership, democratic governance, security of tenure, and strong community ties support a culture where collective responsibility is prioritized over individual entitlement. Furthermore, trust in administration, transparent processes, and equitable treatment reinforce residents’ willingness to comply—even when downsizing is emotionally or practically challenging.
This approach might not work everywhere, especially where people don’t feel the same sense of community or security. But it offers an inspiring example of how we can think creatively and fairly about housing, especially in a time of growing need.
Reference:
Lage, J. (2025). How to reduce? Legitimacy of housing sufficiency policies in the case of occupancy requirements in Switzerland. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 21(1), 2463190. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2025.2463190
Serra Húnter Fellow of Sociology at Universitat Rovira i Virgili.
Former DAAD-Gastprofessorin at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg