Lengnau launches a project for 24 homes for the elderly

A planning application has been submitted for 24 barrier-free flats for people aged 60 and over on Landstrasse in Lengnau. The project, led by the Mühlihalde co-operative, aims to bridge the gap between living at home and moving into a care home at a later stage; however, the start date for construction has yet to be confirmed.

The local authority acquired the Mühlihalde plot several years ago and is making it available to the co-operative under a building lease. This means the project is firmly anchored in housing policy, even though, according to publicly available documents, funding remained the biggest obstacle for a long time.

The plans include 20 two-bedroom and four three-bedroom flats on Landstrasse. The building is to be wheelchair-accessible and aimed at people who are still able to manage their daily lives independently. Supplementary services such as home care or medical services form part of the concept, so that older residents can continue to live in the village for as long as possible.

From the ageing strategy to the planning permission process
The origins of the project date back to the local authority’s ageing strategy. In the local authority’s records, the project has been listed for several years as a response to the lack of age-appropriate rental flats in Lengnau. The 2021 annual report still referred to 24 residential units on Landstrasse, whilst earlier project updates sometimes indicated different numbers of flats. The planning application now submitted shows that, following a lengthy lead-up period, the development is entering a concrete next phase.

Funding remains a key issue
The housing concept is geared towards affordable, non-profit flats. At the same time, municipal and project documents show that raising equity through share certificates for the co-operative was insufficient, making further discussions with banks and investors necessary. Particularly in the case of smaller non-profit projects in rural areas, this funding issue often determines how quickly a socio-political need can be transformed into a viable new-build project.

No date for the start of construction or occupancy has been announced at present. According to the available information, the planning application was on public display at the Surbtal Building Authority in Unterendingen until 22 July 2026. It will then become clear whether the project can move into the construction phase without further delay.