Simplification law to transform offices into housing finally adopted

Adopted by the National Assembly and the Senate over a year ago, the bill by MoDem MP Romain Daubié (Ain) has finally reached Parliament, with this final unanimous vote by senators.

Previously, parliamentarians from both chambers had agreed on a joint text during a joint committee (CMP), the holding of which had been postponed by the dissolution in 2024.

"This text will not solve the housing crisis. But it will unlock hundreds of projects in our regions," Mr. Daubié said earlier this week, on the sidelines of the final vote by MPs on this text in the National Assembly.

In order to facilitate the conversion of buildings, the text provides for simplification measures such as the possibility given to mayors to deviate from the local urban planning plan (PLU) when an office is converted into housing.

It also creates a "multiple-purpose building permit", which allows the "successive purposes" of a building to be changed – office, housing, etc. – thanks to a convergence of fire and acoustic standards.

Finally, part of the bill is dedicated to university residences, so that more offices can become student accommodation.

Initially limited to vacant offices, the text was expanded by the Senate to other types of buildings such as hotels, parking lots, and commercial areas. This could represent a potential pool of around one million housing units, several senators have calculated.

"This text makes a useful contribution to expanding the range of tools that can be used by local authorities to increase the supply of housing," stressed Les Républicains Senator Martine Berthet, nevertheless regretting, like many speakers, the absence of an "ambitious programmatic law specifically dedicated to housing."

Housing Minister Valérie Létard supported the initiative, welcoming it as "a concrete lever to resolve the housing crisis in major cities," even if "it will not be the solution everywhere or the solution to everything."