“We want to unblock the construction of housing”: the Montpellier Metropolis enters into an agreement with real estate developers

Cédric Grail aux côtés de Laurent Villaret, président régional de FPI, lors de la présentation de l’accord, ce mardi, à Altémed. Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

Inflation, construction costs, financial or other costs, many homes are not emerging from the ground today. According to Altémed, more than a thousand homes are blocked in the area. The developer of the Montpellier Metropolis has just signed an agreement with the Federation of Occitanie Developers. Objective: the creation of 7,500 housing units.

Altémed, the armed arm of the City and the Metropolis in terms of urban development, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Regional Federation of Real Estate Developers Occitanie Méditerranée (FPI OM) in order to unblock the property market. construction. A very technical agreement which should allow the relaunch of housing construction in the metropolis. Interview with Cédric Grail, general director of Altémed.

Why such an agreement ?

Our meeting allowed us to take stock of the housing crisis in the metropolis with real estate developers through their regional federation. We have presented a protocol between our two institutions, which will be integrated into all the operations that Altémed will carry out on the ZACs. The protocol takes the form of a so-called return to better fortune clause.

That is to say?

Today, our priority is to enable the unblocking of housing production. The crisis, due in particular to rising construction costs, meant that the financial statements of each real estate program were not balanced. Through this agreement, we are leading each partner to make efforts to achieve this financial balance, which will allow each developer, on a ZAC program, to finally start their construction site. In February 2022, Michaël Delafosse, mayor and president of the Metropolis, launched a supply shock. With the ambition of creating 7,500 housing units, out of around a hundred programs. We have since awarded lots, except that in the meantime the crisis arrived and it disrupted the balances I was talking about. Today, through this protocol, we want to unblock the construction of housing.

In the agreement you use the expression « to better luck ». What is its meaning?

This means that if, in three or four years, the situation of developers improves, that they sell, for example, their housing at an average price of 4 400 € of m², against 4 000 € today, well, part of this difference, we are around 40%, will be donated to Altémed, which will inject it into the ZACs. You have to do things intelligently. Everyone makes an effort and that is the main thing.

More or less long-term avenues to improve the situation

À As of today, according to the developer, 1,112 housing units are blocked. Altémed éstudies "lot by lot the land charge, the architectural specifications, the costs…&quot ; so that the situation improves.

Moreover the agreement found translates into an interest clause:
"- If the operation does not represent any marketing risk on the housing (block transfers LLI, BRS, LLS…), the ;rsquo;operator will be liable to the developer of 50% of the additional margin achieved.
– If the operation involves a marketing risk, the operator will be liable for 40% of the additional turnover of the transaction. alisé on housing.
– Furthermore, for the tertiary sector or activities (including mixed operations), the operator will be liable for 30% of the figure for the project. additional business carried out on this part."

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