Exploring residential preferences before and during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland

The first COVID-19 lockdown blurred the boundaries between all dimensions of life. Residential environments had to function as schools, offices and homes, often challenging residents’ comfort and wellbeing. In this study, we look into the effects of the first COVID-19 lockdown on housing residential preferences in Switzerland, which have been shown to be linked to health and wellbeing. Based on an online survey of residents (N = 5378) we explore the extent to which the functions they assign to their ideal dwelling (e.g. a status symbol, a shelter) have changed during the pandemic. We relate this change to the respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, their feelings about the confinement and whether and how their leisure activities were affected by it. Results show that for more than half of the sample at least 1 of the 3 most desired housing functions prior to the pandemic gained or lost importance. Whilst the wish for a place for ‘satisfaction of aspirations’ showed the largest increase, a place fulfilling basic needs (i.e. eating, cooking) was found to be less desirable. With the support of logistic regression models, we identify two profiles of residents whose preferences changed, thereby shedding light on diverse ways of responding to the confinement measures. We argue that an enhanced understanding of the ideal housing functions is critical to design healthy residential environments which enable their inhabitants to cope with future challenges.