The social housing world takes Lecornu at his word and calls for a break in housing policy

Emmanuelle Cosse, president of the Social Housing Union, which represents social landlords, "listened attentively" to Sébastien Lecornu's "talk about disruption." Social landlords believe in it and are "ready to contribute to it," she assured during her opening speech at the HLM Congress, which runs until Thursday in Paris.

"This break must involve an end to the lack of interest in our sector, and this must be reflected in the next finance law. This break could be embodied by the withdrawal of the RLS," the solidarity rent reduction, added the ambassador of the HLM world, who never misses an opportunity to call for the abolition of this levy on the revenue of social landlords by the State.

Michel Ménard, the new president of the Federation of Public Housing Offices (FOPH), also a supporter of the term "rupture", is calling for a housing programming law, an idea shared by Marie-Noëlle Lienemann, president of the Federation of HLM Cooperative Societies.

However, no member of the government will be present at the HLM congress to respond to these demands, as all the ministers have resigned and are confined to managing current affairs.

"The housing crisis is profound, it affects all social categories, all ages, all territories" and the "next government will have to respond to it," assures Emmanuelle Cosse, launching a new appeal to "the Prime Minister and all political forces to listen to the warnings of housing stakeholders."

The figures confirm this, notes Christophe Robert, general director of the Foundation for Housing the Disadvantaged: "We have never had such harsh eviction figures, such a high poverty rate, or so many people on the streets."

"Regalian policy"

The HLM movement has been warning for several years about the worrying housing situation, and not just social housing, because when all the links in the housing chain (social housing, private rental, home ownership, rental investment, new construction) are blocked, it is the social landlords who find themselves facing a colossal demand: nearly 2,9 million households were waiting for social housing at the end of June.

Patrick Bloche, first deputy mayor of Paris, noted the "worrying observation of the absence of a real housing policy," which has "not been a priority for several years" for the State, while "housing the French with dignity is a mission of the State."

In addition to the state's financial disengagement, Emmanuelle Cosse also criticizes the state's lack of a housing strategy. "For example, in the reindustrialization policy, the housing issue is only addressed very late," emphasizes the former Minister of Housing (2016-2017).

She is waiting for "the return of a reliable, pilot and financial State" on housing, which she describes as a "sovereign policy".

High Commissioner for Strategy and Planning, Clément Beaune, agrees with "the tragedy of the lack of multi-year planning" and highlights a "problem of visibility" due to regular changes in rules and budgets. For him, "the State must regain the ability to plan for five to ten years."

To defend this "fundamental right" to housing, the National Housing Confederation proposes the creation of a "Social Housing Security" system, in a manifesto that the association for the defense of social housing tenants presented to Congress on Tuesday.

This "Housing Security" notably provides for the creation of a national rental security fund to prevent non-payment and the payment of temporary allowances in the event of an accident.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.