Speaking on RTL Radio on Tuesday morning, Mayor of Esch-sur-Alzette Christian Weis declined to comment in detail on the ongoing legal dispute surrounding the Portal Eent development, citing ongoing court proceedings.
The project, planned for the corner of Boulevard Prince Henri and Rue Victor Hugo, includes 78 flats, 40 student rooms, and 11 single-family homes. The City of Esch had intended to purchase the houses to offer them as affordable housing.
The developer behind the project, Kindy Fritsch, is suing the city for €130 million, alleging that the municipality deliberately obstructed the project and failed to honour its commitments.
"We categorically reject these accusations", Weis said, adding that the city's legal team is handling the case and that the matter is now before the courts. The politician from the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) also rejected claims that the city abandoned the Portal Eent project in favour of the Rout Lëns development for political reasons.
"If you look at our multiannual budget, you'll see that funding remains allocated for both projects", he said. "Our financial situation does not prevent us from carrying out either of them."
Turning to Esch's housing policy, Weis defended the city's long-running efforts to crack down on so-called "café rooms" – small furnished rooms, often rented at high prices and sometimes offering poor living conditions. According to figures previously cited by the city's chief architect, around 200 such rooms have been closed since Esch introduced stricter building regulations in 2004.
Weis said the city has a duty to guarantee minimum standards of safety, hygiene, and habitability. "Even during a housing shortage, we have to ensure people can live in decent conditions", he said.
Drawing on his previous experience as a social worker, Weis recalled visiting homes where he questioned how people could be expected to live in such conditions. Housing, he said, affects people's health and overall quality of life, making enforcement necessary when minimum standards are not met.
At the same time, he stressed that closing unsuitable accommodation alone is not enough. "The real answer to the housing crisis is creating new housing and bringing existing vacant homes back onto the market", he said.
The mayor also welcomed the introduction of a national building code, expected to come into force in January 2028.
Although some of Esch's existing rules are stricter than the proposed national framework, while others are less restrictive, Weis said harmonising regulations across the country would speed up procedures, simplify planning, and support the construction of new housing.
He also praised the work carried out by the government on the reform, saying it would benefit both housing development and climate objectives.
Weis said the city is also close to introducing a long-discussed vacant property tax, which has existed in principle since 2012 but has never been implemented because of legal and practical difficulties.
Following discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs over the past year, only two outstanding issues remain, he said. The city hopes to approve the revised tax this autumn, according to Weis.
Weis explained that, depending on the size of the property and how long it has remained vacant, owners could face charges of up to €10,000.
The interview also focused on how Esch is adapting to increasingly frequent heatwaves. Weis said the city's resilience officer is currently preparing a comprehensive strategy, due to be completed by the end of the year.
According to Weis, measures already being integrated into new developments include increasing green spaces, reopening covered waterways, using climate mapping tools to identify urban heat islands, and favouring sustainable construction materials.
New neighbourhoods are also being designed to minimise heat build-up and reduce carbon emissions, while existing heat islands should gradually be eliminated, he said.
Before the full resilience strategy is published, the city plans to release a Citizen's Resilience Guide, providing practical advice on how residents should respond to different crises, including extreme heat.
With southern Luxembourg currently under an orange heat alert, Weis said the guide would give people a clear reference explaining what different warnings mean and how they can protect themselves.
