A text aimed at simplifying the transformation of offices into housing adopted in the Assembly

The National Assembly unanimously adopted on Thursday March 7 a text aimed at facilitating the transformation of offices into housing, even if deputies from all sides agree that it is only a small step in the face of the deep crisis that crosses the area.

Voted at first reading by the 80 deputies present, from almost all groups (the GDR group with a communist majority did not take part in the vote), the bill from MoDem Romain Daubié (Ain) is now expected in the Senate.

According to the Minister for Housing, Guillaume Kasbarian, this text "does useful work by adding supply in a context where the market is blocked".

In Ile-de-France, there are 4,5 million square meters of empty offices, estimate MP Daubié and the government.

Facilitating their transformation is essential given the many difficulties in finding housing and also responds to an “ecological necessity”, insists the parliamentarian.

In order to reduce delays, its text provides for simplification measures such as an exemption from the local town planning plan when an office is transformed into housing.

It also creates a “reversible building permit”, which makes it possible to change the “destination” of a building – office, housing – thanks to an approximation of fire and acoustic standards. Romain Daubié draws inspiration on this point from what was done in Seine-Saint-Denis for the Olympic village.

Finally, part of the bill is devoted to CROUS, so that more offices can become student accommodation.

More debated, the deputies validated a measure of financial support for communities, allowing mayors to subject operations of transformation of offices into housing to the development tax. The right opposed it, fearing an increase in the cost of housing, and the government expressed its reservations.

Without opposing the bill, many elected officials stressed that it was only a "small stone", far from responding to the crisis in the sector.

This text responds to a “peripheral problem”, said MP David Taupiac, of the independent Liot group.

“It’s a niche tool that will not respond to the structural housing crisis,” added ecologist Sabrina Sebaihi.

In a press release published after the vote, the MoDem group, member of the presidential majority, itself recalled "the expectation of a major bill on housing".