Andermatt project moves seasonal workers into vacant Airolo homes

A project will place seasonal workers from Andermatt in vacant homes in Airolo, about 30 minutes away, SRF reports. Affordable housing in Andermatt is increasingly scarce as the number of workers grows.

Andermatt Swiss Alps, the company that initiated the project, has begun identifying empty apartments and contacting their owners. The first homes are expected to be ready by mid-November, with more to follow.

Airolo is the first municipality involved. Andermatt Swiss Alps has arranged 29 apartments and rooms there, and 60 to 70 people are expected to move to the Leventina valley from next year. Some of the properties were previously occupied by army personnel, including fortress guards, or by train drivers.

Airolo Mayor Oscar Wolfisberg welcomed plans to put the vacant homes back into use and renovate them, saying this could give owners the chance to rent them out over the medium term. He said the agreement with Andermatt had already had a positive effect on the population: Airolo recorded five per cent growth this year.

Andermatt Swiss Alps manager Hans Bandi said improved public transport connections between Andermatt and the Leventina would help make the arrangement work. Commuting is already manageable for people whose shifts start between 7:30 and 8 a.m. and end around 8 p.m., he said, but is harder for those working very early or late hours.

Wolfisberg said Airolo would need to persuade newcomers to consider staying long term by raising awareness of the quality of life in the municipality and challenging the perception of the Gotthard as a barrier between regions.