Financing, renovation, changing tenant profiles: the challenges facing social landlords at the heart of the 84th HLM Congress in Montpellier

The mayor led Emmanuelle Cosse, president of the Union sociale pour l'Habitat, to discover the Cité créative district. Midi Libre – DORIAN CAYUELA

Michaël Delafosse alongside Emmanuelle Cosse and Michel Calvo on the roof of a social housing complex. Midi Libre – DORIAN CAYUELA

The 84th HLM Congress opens this Tuesday, September 24 at the Parc Expo in Pérols. More than 20,000 delegates are expected over three days. This event, both a social housing trade fair and a place for debate, will be an opportunity to question Valérie Létard, the new Minister of Housing, on the expectations and needs of a sector that is being hit hard by the housing crisis.  

In the midst of a national housing crisis, all attention will be focused on Montpellier for the 84th HLM Congress, from September 24 to 26, at the Parc Expos. With more than 20,000 people expected, it is the largest traveling congress in France. This heavyweight in the housing sector invests 15 billion euros each year and employs 80,000 people every day in France. ~60/p>

Social and private sectors are intertwined without distinction at Cité Créative~60/h2>

“It is above all a major public policy event”, ~60/em>recalled Emmanuelle Cosse, president of the Social Union for Housing, last Monday, during a press conference, on a roof terrace of a social housing building in Cité créative. This district, which formerly housed the EAI, was not chosen at random. Social and private housing stock overlap without any notable distinction. More than a third of the 2,000 housing units (33%) belong to the social housing stock. A principle reminiscent of that of Antigone, built 40 years ago, dear to the heart of Mayor Michaël Delafosse who often cites it as an example.

33,000 social housing units in Montpellier, 36,000 applications pending

With 25% of social housing units in Montpellier in accordance with the SRU law (33,000 in total), the City aims to be exemplary. All the levers to accelerate production and renovation are being used. The challenge: to respond to the 36,000 people on the waiting list in the Metropolis. “There is an average of seven years of waiting”, acknowledges Michel Calvo, president of Habitat social en Occitanie and deputy to the Ville solidaire. “I am happy, explains the latter, emphasizing the “voluntarism of the City. Six years ago, ACM delivered 500 to 600 housing units. In 2025 and for three years, nearly a thousand will emerge from the ground."  

"If you want to act on purchasing power, you have to build social housing"

This is one of the reasons why Montpellier was chosen to host the HLM Congress. "I hope that the Minister of Housing will listen, insists Michaël Delafosse. If you want to act on purchasing power, you have to build social housing. A T3 in Montpellier costs €700, €462 in the social housing sector." In France, 2.7 million households are also waiting. Figures that show the scale of the problem. Because there are multiple obstacles, recalls Emanuelle Cosse. Starting with financing. "We are fighting to have additional financial resources". Minister of Housing under François Hollande, she hopes that "the 2025 budget will support both construction and renovation. We have been abandoned by a general political vision. It is time to have an emergency structural policy for the housing crisis. It prevents us from planning for the future.” And Michaël Delafosse hammers the point home:“Emmanuel Macron has made levies on the equity of social landlords, he has reduced APL and very clearly he has not banged his fist on the table much on the municipalities that do not produce social housing. In Montpellier we are keeping this choice of solidarity set by the SRU law.”

Evolving profiles, climate change…

Another current issue: adapting to the evolution of profiles recalls Emmanuelle Cosse. “Montpellier must face the challenges of welcoming young people, single-parent families, mobile workers…” Focused on innovation and movement, this edition will also focus on adaptation to climate change through the renovation of the existing park. “Eco-materials, cool islands, use of roofs… all this is social housing.” Here again Montpellier ticks the boxes. Shared vegetable gardens have been set up on the roofs of the social residences of Cité créative when the “fifth façade” is not used to build a new apartment. A tip to avoid soil waterproofing. 

Among the issues that will also be debated, "territorial selfishness" of these municipalities that do not respect the obligations of the SRU law, "a law of the republican edifice that some are shaking up by activating representations. Social housing means housing France as it is", Emmanuelle Cosse insists. And since this congress will be an opportunity to recall needs and expectations, the mayor of Montpellier calls for the return of the bonus for building mayors.  

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