Patrice Vergriete signed the first “territorialized convention” on social housing. These agreements mainly aim to restart the production of social and transitional housing by prioritizing targets by territory, more adapted to local reality.
Housing Minister Patrice Vergriete has promised to “place resources” to restart the construction of social housing despite the current rise in land prices. “The year 2024 must be an opportunity to move out of housing without waiting two years for land prices to fall. In France, 2.4 million people are looking for social housing. We will deviate and introduce the means,” declared the minister after signing the first “territorialized convention” in Dijon on social housing in France.
These agreements, the creation of which was announced by Patrice Vergriete at the HLM Congress last October, last for three years and aim in particular to restart the production of social and transitional housing by preferring targets by territory, more adapted to local reality according to the Ministry, than a national target for the production of social housing. “We are not interested in the national number, it is absurd. The important thing is to know how many are needed in Dijon, in Dunkirk, in Paris…”, added the minister during a visit to the Elithis tower in Dijon, one of the first buildings with positive energy (which will produce more energy than it consumes) in France.
Descending permissions
Earlier national targets for the production of social housing were not met and the number of authorizations for new HLM fell under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron, with the HLM world regularly criticizing the executive for savings to its detriment. In 2023, the number of social housing permits in mainland France should be around 85,000, according to government forecasts. However, according to the Social Union for Housing, a confederation of social landlords, 198,000 are needed a year to respond to major demographic trends and reduce poor housing.
PS Dijon’s mayor, François Rebsamen, a keen supporter of Emmanuel Macron, drew up a report in 2021 on the resumption of sustainable housing construction, highlighting the “supply crisis” and calling in particular for “local housing contracts”. between the state and municipalities and between municipalities”. “10,000 apartments are needed in Dijon. We are determined to build 1,600 per year over three years and from 2024,” declared the mayor of this municipality of 162,000 inhabitants.
Further decentralization of social housing must be the subject of a bill expected in the first half of 2024. HLM represents 4.8 million housing units and approximately 15% of French households as tenants.