The government announced this Thursday the deployment of two billion additional euros for the urban renewal of priority neighborhoods, thus laying the first brick of its
“equal opportunities agenda”
which should be broken down into several parts in the coming weeks.
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This new envelope, which brings the allocation of the National Agency for Urban Renovation (ANRU) to 12 billion euros, will be officially unveiled on Friday during a visit by Prime Minister Jean Castex to Grigny (Essonne), where a city interministerial committee will be held.
It should be used in particular to
"unblock projects awaiting funding, especially large neighborhoods in Marseille or Ile-de-France,"
said Matignon.
It corresponds exactly to the demand formulated this week by the Social Union for Housing (USH), which brings together everyone in low-
income
housing,
"to improve the living conditions of residents in the short and medium term"
.
These two billion euros will not however be entirely disbursed by the State, since a large part of the ANRU funds come from Action Logement, the former 1% housing managed by employers and unions.
But, while the ANRU budget had already increased from 5 to 10 billion euros during the five-year term, this acceleration intends to mark the consideration given to the priority districts of the city (QPV), severely affected by the consequences of the crisis. of the coronavirus.
The City Ministry recalls that the poverty rate is 40%, three times the national average, and the unemployment rate at over 22%.
And the feedback from the field in recent months is worrying, with
“increased use of social assistance”
.
The executive also wants to respond to the
"call for help"
of a hundred elected officials from all sides launched at the end of last year, worried about the
"social and economic distress"
of the neighborhoods.
In this context, Jean Castex had already promised that at least 1% of the recovery plan - or 1 billion euros - would be intended for disadvantaged neighborhoods, which he will reaffirm on Friday.
Education, housing
By peeling
"line by line"
the recovery plan, the government has established that 810 million euros of professional integration measures will benefit QPV, or 300 million for the energy renovation of buildings ... In all, Jean Castex will unveil 15 measures on Friday, affecting security, housing, education or employment.
For example, it will be a question of indicating the names of the municipalities selected for the seven
“republican reconquest districts”
still pending, where 180 police and gendarmes will arrive as reinforcements.
Some 300 mediators and as many specialized educators will also be sent to the QPVs.
On the education component, the Prime Minister will announce the renewal of the
“learning holidays”
and
“summer quarters” systems
, from which a million young people have benefited in 2020. And he will detail the list of 46 new
“educational cities”,
in addition to the existing 80, which aim to improve school success in neighborhoods.
In addition, 30 million euros will be devoted to the recruitment of 500 Pôle emploi advisers in 66 branches.
Likewise, some 100 million euros will be used to improve sports facilities in these municipalities.
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Finally, with regard to housing, the government wishes to
"encourage the diversification of housing"
and
"avoid continuing to concentrate poor populations in poor neighborhoods"
.
In this sense, the prefects will be invited
“on a case-by-case basis”
not to issue approvals for the construction of new housing among the most social in the municipalities, already counting at least 40%.
However, these provisions should only be the kick-off of the broader plan for equal opportunities that the executive intends to launch in the coming weeks, when several ministries must submit their proposals to Mr. Castex.
This plan should make it possible to form the “
left leg
”, according to a ministerial adviser, of the very regal bill against “
separatism
” currently under consideration in Parliament.
In this sense, measures against discrimination, on access to responsibilities in the public service or even the possible generalization of the "
youth guarantee
", namely a monthly allowance of a maximum amount of 497 euros,
are expected, for example
, coupled with a path of integration into employment.