Federal Office for housing FOH
The Federal Office for Housing (BWO) is the Swiss federal competence center for housing policy, implementing housing-promotion and tenancy law, publishing the national mortgage reference rate, and providing free housing-market data, research, and information services to cantons, municipalities, and the public.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- Headquarters—
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Federal Office for housing FOH does
The Federal Office for Housing (Bundesamt für Wohnungswesen BWO, FOH) is the Swiss federal competence center for all housing-policy matters, established on 1 January 1975 and headquartered in Bern. It is organizationally embedded within the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (WBF) and operates with a staff of approximately 22 employees. Its mandate is the implementation of federal housing-promotion legislation and tenancy law, including the calculation and publication of the hypothekarischer Referenzzinssatz — the mortgage reference interest rate that serves as the formal anchor for rent-adjustment mechanisms across Switzerland.
The office's product portfolio centers on authoritative data and information services rather than commercial offerings. Flagship outputs include the Monitor Wohnungsmarkt (a redesigned digital edition launched in March 2026), the Wohnbauförderung-Schlüsselzahlen (WBS), the multilingual brochure «Wohnen in der Schweiz» (now available in 19 languages, revised in July 2024), the Wohnforschung applied-research program, the BWO-Newsletter, and the dedicated Kurzzeitvermietung information portal introduced in September 2024. It also convenes the Schweizer Wohntage conference and, in February 2025, launched the Aktionsplan Wohnungsknappheit, an action plan addressing Switzerland's structural housing shortage. Leadership comprises Director Martin Tschirren, Deputy Director Felix Walder, and function heads covering legal, housing/real-estate fundamentals, and finance.
The business model is non-commercial: the agency is funded entirely through the federal budget and provides all of its services, publications, and information products free of charge to cantonal authorities, municipalities, industry participants, and the general public. There are no disclosed fees, no paid tiers, and no commercial customer contracts. Its 2025 50th anniversary and the Schweizer Wohntage 2026 conference signal a deliberate public positioning around continuity and the modernization of federal housing competence rather than commercial scaling.
Federal Office for housing FOH firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Federal Office for housing FOH
- Legal name
- Bundesamt für Wohnungswesen BWO
- Website
- https://bwo.admin.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Federal Office for Housing (BWO) is the Swiss federal competence center for housing policy, implementing housing-promotion and tenancy law, publishing the national mortgage reference rate, and providing free housing-market data, research, and information services to cantons, municipalities, and the public.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Federal Office for housing FOH industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Housing Administration
- NAICS
- Administration of Housing Programs (925110)
- SIC
- Non-Operating Establishments (9995)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fair Housing, Compliance & Housing Program Oversight (FSALAKAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Affordable Rental & Multifamily Housing Finance Programs (LIHTC/Tax Credits/Subsidized Loans) (FSALAKAF)
Keywords
Federal Office for housing FOH business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Federal Office for housing FOH product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Bundesamt für Wohnungswesen BWO (Federal Office for Housing FOH) is the Swiss Confederation's competence center for all housing questions. It implements federal laws on housing promotion and tenancy law, develops decision-making foundations for improving housing supply and the residential environment, and produces market transparency through tools such as the Monitor Wohnungsmarkt, the Hypothekarischer Referenzzinssatz, the Wohnungs-Bewertungs-System (WBS), research programs, and multilingual tenant information brochures.
Product overview
The Federal Office for Housing (BWO) operates as Switzerland's federal competence center for all housing matters. It provides a unified platform of interconnected housing-related information services rather than a single product. The core offerings include the Monitor Wohnungsmarkt for housing market analysis, the Hypothekarischer Referenzzinssatz for mortgage reference rates, the Wohnungs-Bewertungs-System (WBS) for property evaluation, the Kurzzeitvermietung portal for short-term rental regulation, and the Schweizer Wohntage annual conference. These are supplemented by the multilingual Broschüre 'Wohnen in der Schweiz' brochure, research publications under Wohnforschung, and the BWO-Newsletter for ongoing updates. An Aktionsplan Wohnungsknappheit addresses current housing shortage challenges.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Federal Office for housing FOH
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Federal Office for housing FOH technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Federal Office for housing FOH partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Federal Office for housing FOH competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Eidgenössische Finanzmarktaufsicht FINMA: Swiss federal financial market regulator. Comparable to BWO as a small specialized federal competence center with a defined oversight mandate, regulatory authority, and data publication function.
- Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz (Housing Cooperatives Switzerland): National umbrella organization for Swiss housing cooperatives, a key stakeholder in BWO's housing promotion (Wohnraumförderung) activities. Comparable as an ecosystem actor that BWO coordinates with but is not a peer agency.
- OECD Housing Policy Unit / Housing Studies: International policy body producing comparative housing market analyses, reference data, and policy frameworks. Comparable as a supranational reference and research counterpart to BWO's Monitor Wohnungsmarkt and Wohnforschung programs.
- Statistisches Bundesamt (BFS / Federal Statistical Office): Swiss Federal Statistical Office producing housing market data, dwelling stock statistics, and price indices. Comparable to BWO as a federal data-publication function relevant to the Monitor Wohnungsmarkt and Wohnforschung programs.
Direct peers
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC): Canada's federal housing agency administering national housing programs, mortgage reference data, and market intelligence. Closely comparable to BWO's role in setting the Hypothekarischer Referenzzinssatz, maintaining market monitoring, and supporting affordable housing programs.
- Boverket (Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning): Swedish national authority for housing policy, building standards, and planning. Directly comparable to BWO as a small federal competence center producing reference data, housing research, and policy frameworks in a Nordic/European context.
Broad incumbents
- Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen (Germany): German federal ministry responsible for housing, urban development, and construction policy. Comparable in mandate but a ministerial-level entity rather than a federal office, and at substantially larger scale.
- Ministère du Logement (France): French ministry-level housing authority overseeing national housing policy, regulation, and affordable housing programs. Comparable to BWO at a substantially larger scope, with a focus on tenant protection analogous to BWO's Mietrecht mandate.
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (UK): UK ministerial department responsible for housing supply, planning, and rental policy. Comparable to BWO's federal role in tenancy law and housing promotion, though embedded in a unitary rather than federal governance structure.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): U.S. federal cabinet department responsible for national housing policy, program administration, and market oversight. Most analogous to BWO in mandate and federal competence-center role, though significantly larger in budget, staff, and scope.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Federal Office for housing FOH social profiles
Digital presenceFederal Office for housing FOH financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Federal Office for housing FOH leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Federal Office for housing FOH funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Federal Office for housing FOH M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Federal Office for housing FOH
What does Federal Office for housing FOH do?
The Bundesamt für Wohnungswesen BWO (Federal Office for Housing FOH) is the Swiss Confederation's competence center for all housing questions. It implements federal laws on housing promotion and tenancy law, develops decision-making foundations for improving housing supply and the residential environment, and produces market transparency through tools such as the Monitor Wohnungsmarkt, the Hypothekarischer Referenzzinssatz, the Wohnungs-Bewertungs-System (WBS), research programs, and multilingual tenant information brochures.
Is Federal Office for housing FOH a public or private company?
Federal Office for housing FOH is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Federal Office for housing FOH founded?
Federal Office for housing FOH was founded in 1975. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Who are Federal Office for housing FOH's main competitors?
Others on record are Eidgenössische Finanzmarktaufsicht FINMA, Wohnbaugenossenschaften Schweiz (Housing Cooperatives Switzerland), OECD Housing Policy Unit / Housing Studies and Statistisches Bundesamt (BFS / Federal Statistical Office). Direct peers are Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Boverket (Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning). Broad incumbents are Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen (Germany), Ministère du Logement (France), Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (UK) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Does Federal Office for housing FOH have an API?
No public API is recorded for Federal Office for housing FOH.
What industry is Federal Office for housing FOH in?
Federal Office for housing FOH's product category is Public Housing Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSALAKAN, Fair Housing, Compliance & Housing Program Oversight, with a secondary code of FSALAKAF, Affordable Rental & Multifamily Housing Finance Programs (LIHTC/Tax Credits/Subsidized Loans). Its NAICS code is 925110 and its SIC code is 9995.