After a first evolution of ABC zoning in October 2023 and the repositioning of 209 municipalities, the government announced a new overhaul to relax the housing market in new territories. Thus, 600 new municipalities should join the tense zone (zones classified as A, A bis or B1), namely municipalities where the number of housing offered for rental is much lower than the candidates for housing for their main residence. The objective of the measure: to allow 1.8 million French people to have access to a zero-interest loan (PTZ) to acquire new housing or to the intermediate rental housing market with rents 10 to 15% lower than the market price, thanks to public aid. And 200 other municipalities will see their tension level increased.
The disappearance of Pinel not compensated
Will this overhaul address the housing crisis? Nothing is less certain if we believe the professionals.
“This is part of a policy of small steps, which aims to reopen, in a very controlled manner, housing assistance, including PTZ, Pinel for a few more months or even intermediate rental housing
,” responded Olivier Salleron, the president of the French Building Federation.
Currently, between 400,000 and 500,000 new housing units are needed per year, including new construction, individual houses and social housing.
“However, if we exclude the 65,000 intermediate rental housing units, only 95,000 private housing units were created in 2023, compared to 130,000 previously. Likewise, only 80,000 social housing units were built last year. And if we add the end of the zero-rate loan for individual houses since the end of March 2024, we can say that all the pillars of housing policy have collapsed
,” notes Ivain Le Roy Liberge, president of the Federation real estate developers Center and general manager of the developer Sully Immobilier.
“And the new zoning will not compensate for the
disappearance of the Pinel law planned for the end of 2024
and which represented 50,000 housing units in accession”
, adds Norbert Fanchon, president of the board of directors of the Gambetta real estate development group.
The outskirts of urban areas concerned?
While waiting for real housing reform, professionals hope that the new zoning will at least correct certain oversights.
“We want the 22 major French metropolises to move to zone A because cities like Rennes, Nantes, Orléans, Chartres or Tours are not yet. And intermediate towns like Châteauroux, Châteaudun, Blois or Montargis also need a boost and must move to zone B1
,” defends Ivain Le Roy Liberge. For his part, Norbert Fanchon pleads for the expansion of zones to municipalities peripheral to urban areas but also those which benefit from the reindustrialization policy:
"Albi for example, should move into category B1 while it is still in B2"
, he defends. The government plans to submit its copy during the month of June.
To find out if your municipality is already affected by zoning, simply enter your city or postal code on the official simulator put online on the service-public.fr website. The zone makes it possible in particular to determine the maximum income to be entitled to social housing (HLM), the PTZ or the social accession loan (PAS).