Housing crisis in Hérault: “It’s becoming a dream to have your own roof”

Les quatre parlementaires héraultais, face aux acteurs du logement, le jeudi 14 mars, à Mauguio. ML – GR

Acteurs du logement, députés et sénateurs ont planché sur la crise qui touche le secteur, sous l'égide de la CCI Hérault. Un manifeste rédigé par le collectif ABCD, et comprenant quatre propositions, a été remis au ministre du logement.

"When the building goes, everything goes. And that’s not okay!" President of the CCI Hérault, André Deljarry invited parliamentarians and housing stakeholders to debate the crisis the sector is going through, and especially the solutions that can be brought to it, on Thursday March 14, at the CCI Entreprises de Mauguio.

At his side was Patrick Ceccotti, president of the ABCD collective (Academy of Building and the City of Tomorrow) which brings together professionals in the act of building. "We have developed a manifesto which includes four priorities: making buyers more resolvable, lowering sales prices, encouraging construction, and introducing new tax measures".

These proposals were made to the Minister of Housing. Guillaume Kasbarian met around a hundred construction professionals last Monday at Midi Libre.

The causes of this unprecedented crisis are multiple: reduced borrowing and purchasing capacity of households with the increase in credit rates, unincentivized taxation, scarcity of land, increase in the cost of materials, accumulation of standards & hellip; "Housing is 100,000 companies, compared to 56,000 in 2011, recalled André Deljarry. We must not break this dynamic."

"The collapse of housing under construction is unprecedented, lamented Gilbert Comos, president of the French Building Federation (FFB) Hérault. With the prefect, we want to make Hérault a project territory."

Among the avenues considered is the generalization of zero-rate loans. "It should be opened to all types of housing, argued Céline Torres, Occitanie and Hérault president of the FFB housing division. We must restore justice and help the middle classes."

Hérault parliamentarians mobilized

"We should launch a major access plan è the propertyé for first-time buyers, and rental for young people, believes Senator Jean-Pierre Grand. Resolving this crisis is a question of will. politics."

"We don’have the same needs à Montpellier, à Béziers or in the upper cantons, observes Emmanuelle Ménard, deputy. You have to make lace. And put things back flat, as for agriculture."

"The population that cannot access " the propertyé is growing, deplores Philippe Sorez, MP. Çit becomes a dream to have your own roof. What is destroyed in six months will be rebuilt in three years."

"Parliamentarians have no more resources than you, recalls Senator Henri Cabanel. We spenté two months &agrav; vote on a finance bill with perspectives. And three months later, we are deprived of 10 billion euros. And we are still being told ten billion less in July."

"The minister announced measures"

"In the Metropolis, which represents half of the housing in Languedoc-Roussillon, the local housing program (PLH) stipulates 30% social, 20% affordable housing and the rest in free housing, recalls Laurent Villaret, president of the Federation of Real Estate Developers (FPI) Occitanie. But why does the PLH apply to the plot ? If we legislated the PLH by neighborhood, it would cost nothing and it would immediately drop from 500 to 1,000 € per m2 the price of free housing. When we say that to the minister and there is no reaction, that raises questions."

"The minister announced measures, where a shock would be needed", continues Céline Torres.

"Our first request to the minister is to declare housing a major issue of general interest, recalls Philippe Roussel, president of Unam Languedoc-Roussillon. The farmers got it. We must relieve buyers of the standards."

"With the growing lack of housing for three years, there is a shortage of 2,500 student accommodations in Montpellier, deplores Jacques Rossi, president of Fnaim Hérault. Students even went to Toulouse. Why not provide subsidized or progressive loans? It would have no impact for Bercy."

"There are 15,000 more inhabitants per year in Hérault, concludes André Deljarry. If the State does not listen, 5 to 10,000 jobs will be lost in our department."