2023-06-15 17:38:32
The cross : What are the symptoms of the housing crisis in France?
Domergue Manual: Our country suffers from both a lack of housing and “poor housing” for many people. This concerns a total of 15 million French people. This crisis is neither new nor cyclical. It is concentrated in areas that strongly attract populations (large cities and, more recently, the Atlantic coast, for example).
This housing crisis is also a crisis of inequalities, because it affects the most vulnerable in our society: young people, households who are unemployed or on precarious contracts, migrants and isolated people, without family or friend support.
How to reverse the situation?
M. D. : At the very least, 800,000 housing units are missing, both to make up for the current shortage and to adapt to societal changes. Because the needs are greater under the effect of divorces, and a growing number of single people (single, elderly)…
It is therefore necessary to build more than 400,000 new dwellings each year, for several years. It is also necessary to ensure that this housing is affordable, hence the interest of focusing on social housing. At the Abbé-Pierre Foundation, we recommend placing social housing at the top of the priorities. Because we have control of the entire chain, from financing (via the Livret A) to the choice of tenant, including the builder.
Is the energy renovation of buildings also part of the equation?
M. D. : It even occupies a central place! By eliminating the thermal sieves, we facilitate access for the most modest to a dignified habitat, and already existing, while guaranteeing them controlled energy bills. The fight against energy poverty is at the crossroads of social and climate issues: it is good for the wallet and good for the planet because it “saves” CO2 emissions while avoiding the artificialization of soils.
To carry out this project, several studies estimate the necessary public aid at 7 billion euros per year, almost double that of today. It is necessary to guarantee that these sums are well earmarked. The “Ma prime rénov” scheme is a counter-example because it blindly subsidized everything, including partial insulation actions, whereas, to be effective, everything has to be dealt with at once. Public money must also go as a priority to the energy renovation of social housing, where we are sure of the proper targeting of subsidies.
What is the role of banks?
M. D. : It is major, insofar as a large part of real estate investment is made by households themselves, or via a developer. But, from my NGO window, I see that financial institutions are not in a hurry around energy renovation: they do not easily grant the eco-PTZ (ecological zero-rate loan), for example. Perhaps because it is a niche, less profitable than others?
Do you see solidarity finance as a lever?
M. D. : Of course ! First, all funding is welcome. However, the 2022 barometer published by FAIR confirms a fundamental trend: solidarity finance invests heavily in social housing.
In addition, it can be more “militant” and support projects that may have difficulty seeing the light of day – shared housing, cooperatives or associations… – because they are off the beaten track or are less profitable, smaller, more uncertain… The state of mind of the sector is necessarily more open to arrangements deemed unconventional for a traditional banker.
And then, solidarity finance can also play a driving role in a project, to attract other investors in its wake.
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The housing crisis in numbers
The Abbé-Pierre Foundation estimates that 330 000 the number of homeless people in France.
In addition, a million people live in precarious accommodation – they do not live in personal accommodation, but are hosted by a third party.
four million people are said to be badly housed because they occupy housing that is far too small for the size of their family, or because this housing is unworthy – unrenovated migrant hostels, for example.
Twelve million people live in a dwelling that is too small with one room, or in energy poverty, or at excessive rent in relation to the household budget, or all of these.
It is estimated that there is three million vacant homes and as many second homes in France.
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