Housing Bill: Between hope and skepticism, construction professionals are now waiting for action

After several months of consultation, the government unveiled its Housing billThis is highly anticipated by professionals in the sector. Accelerated building permits, a new status for private landlords, changes to regulations for energy-inefficient buildings, simplified urban planning… these are all measures long demanded by professionals. But while the diagnosis is now widely shared, reactions show that consensus is still far from being reached. Parliament will now have the responsibility of translating these announcements into concrete measures.

The FFB welcomes a "change of course" but expects more

The French Building Federation (FFB) sees this bill as an encouraging sign. According to the organization, housing is finally regaining a central place in government action after several years during which the industry denounced a lack of overall vision.

The federation welcomes the creation of Local Interest Operations (OILs), the measures to simplify procedures, and the provisions designed to support private rental investment. It also believes that the approach taken regarding energy-inefficient housing is more pragmatic, prioritizing renovations rather than the immediate removal of hundreds of thousands of homes from the rental market.

But the French Building Federation (FFB) refuses to call it a genuine recovery plan. It believes that several key demands are missing from the text, notably the inclusion of new single-family homes in the future status of private landlords, as well as guarantees on the financing of the future ANRU 3 program. It also insists on the need to permanently stabilize tax and regulatory rules in order to restore investor confidence.

For the federation, this bill is therefore a first step, but it will need to be enriched during parliamentary debates.

CAPEB sees an opportunity for craftsmen

The same tone is echoed by the Confederation of Crafts and Small Building Enterprises (CAPEB), which considers that several provisions are in line with the proposals it has been advocating for several years.

The organization particularly welcomes measures likely to accelerate energy-efficient renovations and bring currently unoccupied housing back onto the market. For small businesses, the commitment to renovations requested from homeowners could generate significant business in the coming years, while also promoting a gradual improvement of the housing stock.

CAPEB, however, points out that this momentum will depend on the stability of public aid. It calls for maintaining clear and transparent programs, ensuring the security of the MaPrimeRénov' grant, and avoiding constant regulatory changes that weaken businesses and households. It also emphasizes the need for a comprehensive strategy to provide long-term support for the craft sector.

Property developers welcome the return of rental investment… with caution

For the Federation of Real Estate Developers (FPI), the future status of private landlords represents progress that has been awaited for several years.

The federation believes that the return of investors is essential to reviving new housing production. It considers that the government is finally recognizing the central role of rental investment in maintaining a balanced housing market.

But it also points out that "private landlord status is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition." According to the FPI, no tax measure will produce lasting effects without regulatory stability, better control of land costs, and a simplification of the regulations that weigh on construction operations.

The FNAIM advocates a more pragmatic approach to energy-inefficient buildings.

The National Federation of Real Estate (FNAIM) welcomes the measures aimed at gradually bringing housing back onto the rental market.

According to her, successive bans on renting properties rated F and G have contributed to reducing the available housing supply in many areas already experiencing high demand. Allowing their rental subject to a renovation commitment therefore appears to be a more realistic compromise between climate imperatives and the need to house the French population.

The federation nevertheless requests that the system be legally secured in order to avoid an increase in disputes between landlords and tenants.

The Housing Alliance calls for a comprehensive vision

The Housing Alliance, which includes the FFB, the FPI, the FNAIM, Procivis, UNIS and several other organizations, believes that the bill incorporates several proposals made in recent months.

However, she points out that the current crisis cannot be resolved by acting on a single lever. For the Alliance, the recovery must be comprehensive and combine social housing, private rental housing, homeownership, and the construction of new housing.

The organization believes that a partial response would simply shift tensions from one market segment to another.

The USH expects funding that meets the needs

The Social Union for Housing (USH) welcomes the desire to simplify procedures and accelerate construction projects.

But for social housing providers, the most pressing issue remains budgetary. They are waiting for clear commitments on the financing of the future ANRU 3 program, as well as on the resources allocated to the construction and renovation of social housing.

The president of the USH, Emmanuelle Cosse, regularly points out that the waiting lists for social housing are reaching historic levels and that administrative simplifications alone will not be enough to address this crisis.

Environmental groups denounce a risk of regression

The reactions are significantly more critical from environmental associations.

The Climate Action Network, Cler, and the Foundation for Housing for the Disadvantaged believe that relaxing the rules applicable to energy-inefficient homes risks sending a contradictory signal. According to them, allowing some energy-guzzling dwellings to remain on the market longer could delay renovation work, keep households in homes that are expensive to heat, and slow down progress toward achieving the climate objectives set by the Climate and Resilience Law.

These organizations therefore demand that work commitments be strictly controlled and accompanied by effective sanctions in case of non-compliance.

The parliamentary test will be decisive

Beyond their differences of opinion, all the players agree on one point: the hardest part starts now.

The bill will still need to be examined and then amended by Parliament, in a political context where the government does not have an automatic majority. Several measures will also need to be clarified in the upcoming budget legislation.

After several years of crisis, professionals in the construction and real estate sectors are no longer just asking for announcements. They now expect actionable, funded, and sufficiently stable measures to sustainably restore the confidence of businesses, investors, and households.

What you must remember :

• The Housing Bill is generally welcomed by construction professionals, who see it as a change of course after several years of crisis.
• The FFB, CAPEB, FPI and FNAIM welcome several measures, but call for more regulatory stability and visibility for both companies and investors.
• Social housing providers believe that administrative simplifications will need to be accompanied by financial commitments to address the housing crisis.
• Environmental associations are denouncing the relaxation of rules on energy-inefficient buildings, which they consider incompatible with energy renovation objectives.
• The text must now be examined by Parliament, where several provisions could still change.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.