One year before the municipal elections, mayors are torn between constraints and the desire to build

After two years of slow construction, the real estate sector is concerned that mayors will grant even fewer building permits as the March 2026 municipal elections approach.

"Major projects are decided through the prism of popular elections, so at the end of the mandate, we no longer launch major projects. It's also a way of not encroaching on the potential successor," explained the diverse right-wing mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine, Jean-Christophe Fromantin, following an "elected officials' forum" organized within the Mipim international real estate fair in Cannes.

Then only small projects remain, so as not to upset the electorate with excessive construction noise and potentially unwelcome new neighbors.

Rising interest rates and construction costs have put a halt to housing construction. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of building permits issued for housing plummeted by nearly 33% to a level not seen since at least 2000, according to records from the Ministry of Housing.

"We're going to struggle to get even fewer building permits," says Gil Avérous, mayor of Châteauroux and president of Villes de France, an association of medium-sized towns.

As a result, in 2025, mayors will face the inevitable problem of housing shortages, which affect all areas, and the risk of rising unemployment in the construction industry in the face of the economic crisis in the sector.

"We know that the year before the municipal elections is tough," says Alain Taravella, president of the developer Altarea. "But this year we're approaching it more positively than six years ago, because we feel everyone's determination to succeed" in building housing," he adds.

Developers, builders, social landlords and elected officials are reporting signs of a recovery in new real estate.

"It's not that mayors don't want to build," argues Martine Vassal, president of the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area (various right). But creating housing "implies building infrastructure," such as schools and public transportation, and "given the financial situation of local authorities," this isn't necessarily possible, she believes.

"What's the point?"

A second obstacle to new construction, and not the least according to the city councilors, would be the complexity of town planning procedures, the standards to be respected, as well as the blockages linked to appeals filed against the projects.

Housing Minister Valérie Létard outlined simplification measures on Tuesday, which elected officials are waiting to see implemented in practice.

She also indicated that aid of 100 million euros will be released to "builder mayors" to financially support the construction of schools and other expenses related to the creation of housing.

Between the difficulty of making a real estate transaction viable, "the piling up of standards and the chain of appeals, (...) it's more difficult to build today," laments Camille Gicquel, deputy mayor of Argenteuil, in the Île-de-France region. "We don't see any simplification!"

Any "facilitation" measure is desirable for Joachim Azan, president of the real estate company Novaxia, "but we must address the motivation" of mayors to build.

"What's the point of mayors building housing today?" he asks. "It has a political cost, a financial cost, and since the abolition of the housing tax, it's not generating any revenue."

Gil Avérous, former LR, confirms that "mayors have no interest in building social housing, for example," due to the lack of property tax collected and potential discontent among the neighborhood.

The Ministry of Housing also promised a "comprehensive plan to support producer mayors" soon.

In Argenteuil, "major projects are underway and will remain so," assures Deputy Mayor Camille Gicquel, who is relying "on the sustainable housing charter and citizen dialogue."

"When it brings new uses, such as restaurants and health services, it is immediately much more accepted," the elected official maintains.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.