How to respond to the housing crisis in France?
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal made several announcements during a trip to Villejuif (Val-de-Marne) this Wednesday.
“We are going to fight cm by cm, m2 by m2 to find housing for the French,” he said.
“Once you are well housed, many of the problems of daily life are resolved,” he argues.
In total, 22 territories are targeted by the government.
Within three years, more than 30,000 homes will have to be built there thanks to administrative “simplification” measures.
Villejuif, Dunkirk, Dieppe, Marseille… these cities were targeted because the needs there are high.
Tourist towns subject to a severe housing shortage, such as Biarritz and Saint-Malo, are also part of it, according to Gabriel Attal.
We will fight square meter by square meter and housing by housing.
To trigger a supply shock, we are going to invest and simplify procedures in 22 committed Territories.
A goal: 30,000 homes built and delivered to the French in 3 years.
pic.twitter.com/RC0H7HWQC4
— Gabriel Attal (@GabrielAttal) February 14, 2024
How to save space?
In order not to eat away at green spaces, which are still too rare in many cities, the government is banking on raising buildings.
“Yes, we can build vertically,” says the Prime Minister.
Social landlords and communities must therefore identify buildings to which floors could be added.
Their conclusions are expected by 2025.
The “French dream” of the house
Gabriel Attal does not forget the houses while the builders of individual houses are in great difficulty.
“The individual house and the pavilion are part of the French dream, (…), I assume,” underlines the Prime Minister.
He plans to save space, where there is any left.
“We are going to considerably simplify mayors’ procedures for French people who wish to build additional housing on their land,” he indicates.
Read alsoPurchase of land, construction… a new house in Île-de-France today costs 400,000 euros
He cites the need to accommodate a loved one “with loss of autonomy” or a child who has grown up, while students are on the front line facing the housing shortage.
In total, this would represent a “potential” of 160,000 additional housing units.
The Local Urban Plan (PLU), which dictates construction authorizations, would not have to be modified, promises Gabriel Attal.
Offices in housing
The government also wants to tackle the transformation of offices into housing.
“In too many places, there are too many empty homes, it’s an unacceptable waste,” denounces Gabriel Attal.
A text supported by MoDem deputy Romain Daubié should facilitate this transformation.
Concretely, mayors could launch a project without modifying their PLU.
So-called “reversible” building permits will be created.
For example, a builder who had filed a building permit for an office building would not have to apply for a new permit if he wishes to transform it into housing.
The number of constructions of intermediate rental housing (LLI), whose price is lower than that of the market, must double by the end of the five-year term.
Finally, the State will support so-called off-site production, which consists of constructing entire buildings in factories before assembling them on site.
This would involve reducing manufacturing times (six months instead of 3 to 5 years, according to Attal).
These announcements are in addition to the revision of the Energy Performance Diagnosis (DPE) for small homes of less than 40 m2, announced by the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu.
The latter must meet with players in the banking sector by the end of February to set up a new type of real estate loan, while many French people are struggling to borrow.