The housing world as a whole showed the same impatience to see the executive act to try to stem the crisis in the sector. It must be said that the number of households waiting for social housing (2.42 million) has never been so high and that of homeless people has climbed to 330,000. The government therefore unveiled 14 technical measures on Sunday.
This plan drawn from the discussions of the National Council for Refoundation (CNR), a series of thematic consultations wanted by Emmanuel Macron, was to be announced on Monday by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Matignon finally unveiled the essentials on Sunday evening.
Land prices will not be regulated
Since the end of November, recognized personalities from the world of the sector have collected grievances and proposals. Three notebooks were given to the Minister Delegate for Cities and Housing, Olivier Klein, with 700 proposals formulated by the CNR and “gathered into 200”. The government has retained a series of technical provisions, but without shock measures such as the supervision of land prices, one of the proposals of the CNR. Major projects are also “open”, such as the overhaul of the taxation of furnished tourist accommodation.
To promote home ownership, the PTZ, which was to end at the end of 2023, will be extended until 2027. But the system will be refocused on “new collective housing” in tight areas, and on “the old housing subject to renovation” in a relaxed zone.
Another measure: the monthly payment for the revision of the wear rate will be extended until the end of 2023 in order to prevent this rate from “becoming a blockage”. The development of the “solidarity real lease”, which makes it possible to acquire cheaper housing without owning the land, will also be “supported”, by revising the resource ceilings upwards. The “Visale” guarantee, which makes it possible to obtain a rental deposit from Action Logement, will also be extended to “more than 2 million people” by 2027, against 1 million since 2018.
To promote access to rental, the government will stop the Pinel system at the end of 2024, deemed ineffective, and focus on “intermediate rental housing”, namely housing which, without being social, allows moderate rents. This system reserved for tense areas will be open to around a hundred additional municipalities, currently located in relaxed areas.
Objective: 1,300 “France Rénov” counters
Measures have also been announced for social housing but still need to be the subject of a “pact” with social landlords. An additional envelope of 160 million over 5 years will also be devoted to the “Housing first” system, which consists in granting permanent housing to people who are poorly housed. And to relaunch new construction, now at a standstill, 47,000 homes that were not sold will be bought from developers by Caisse des Dépôts and Action Logement.
Finally, to accelerate the energy renovation of buildings, the MaPrimeRénov’ system will be reinforced, with 1,300 “France Rénov” counters against 450 currently and an increase in “Rénov’ guides” from 2,000 to 5,000.
The measures unveiled on Sunday will be financed by the end of the Pinel device and the refocusing of the PTZ, said Matignon.