Social housing text withdrawn just before its examination in the Assembly

Strongly criticized by the left and professionals in the sector, the text "ending lifelong maintenance in social housing" was tabled by the former Minister of Housing Guillaume Kasbarian (Together for the Republic, a Macronist group).

Regretting a motion of rejection planned by La France Insoumise - which, if adopted, would have dismissed the text before its examination - its rapporteur, Macronist MP Stéphane Vojetta, declared on Monday on X that he was "choosing responsibility" and withdrawing the text "in its current form to resubmit it in the coming days, amended and clarified."

Adopting the motion of rejection "was a possibility," Mr. Vojetta acknowledged to AFP. Rather than risk burying the text, he therefore prefers "to resubmit it by incorporating the changes requested by the opposition and the government."

The text proposed lowering the income thresholds from which a social landlord can ask a tenant to leave a property, or demand additional "surcharge" from them.

The acquisition of "housing suitable for needs or likely to generate income allowing access to the private sector" was also introduced as a reason for terminating a lease.

Concretely, "an employee living in Saint-Denis will have to leave their social housing starting from a net salary of 3.800 euros per month" for two years, compared to 4.336 euros per month currently, Mr. Vojetta argued during the examination by the Economic Affairs Committee.

According to him, 30.000 social housing units are affected, which could be released, while 2,7 million homes were waiting at the end of 2024.

The left welcomed the withdrawal announced by Mr Vojetta.

"I'm very pleased that our motion of rejection was so effective that we didn't even have to present it," joked LFI MP François Piquemal, who was supposed to defend it, about X.

The text was "misleading and deceptive," with "ineffective and even counterproductive content. And so they realized that it couldn't go beyond the media debate," Socialist Party MP Iñaki Echaniz told AFP.

Diversity

Mr. Vojetta had nevertheless explained on Friday that he wanted to "reach out" to the opposition, "particularly to the left," and had tabled several amendments to this effect.

One of them aimed to change the title of the text referring to supposed "social housing for life", and criticized as "fallacious".

Another amendment proposed that the obligation to terminate the lease for tenants who have become owners only apply in tense areas - excluding priority urban policy districts (QPV).

A third proposed that these priority, less advantaged neighborhoods remain exempt from overpayments in order to "preserve social diversity."

The National Rally had tabled amendments aimed at excluding people of French nationality from the tightening of access conditions.

Last week, amendments deleting key articles of the bill were adopted in committee. However, the committee subsequently rejected the stripped-down version, which was therefore expected to be presented in its original form to the House.

The Communists had called for its withdrawal, given the "large majority against the text."

"We want social diversity, not ghettos!" reacted Minister for Urban Affairs Juliette Méadel, who opposed the initiative. In response, Guillaume Kasbarian suggested she resign.

Housing Minister Valérie Létard had declared that while the objective was "laudable", it was necessary to "work towards a balanced text".

The Social Housing Union, which represents social landlords, had criticized a proposed law that "would only amplify the attacks on social diversity, the founding principle of the French social housing model."

The National Agency for Housing Information (ANIL) considered it "more of a media diversionary measure than an attempt to respond to the deep crisis."