Social housing: local elected officials denounce the State's disengagement

Faced with this stance of defiance, local elected officials are launching a solemn appeal to the State: it is urgent to reinvest massively in the production of social housing. Because behind the figures, there are millions of families, young people, workers, the elderly, and those in precarious situations who have been waiting, sometimes for years, for a response to a fundamental need: decent housing.

The housing crisis is now structural. Between 2017 and 2024, the number of applicants for social housing rose from 2 to 2,8 million, a 35% increase in seven years. To meet this growing demand, at least 7 social housing units would need to be built annually. We're less than halfway there. At the same time, the number of allocations is falling dangerously: 200.000 in 370.000, compared to 2023 ten years ago.

These figures are not abstract. They reflect a brutal imbalance between supply and demand, congestion across the entire residential sector, and a sense of abandonment that fuels distrust of institutions.

In the regions, mayors are on the front lines: they see families waiting for housing, students sleeping in their cars, essential workers who can no longer live near their place of employment. And they also see social housing providers weakened, construction operations slowed, projects delayed due to lack of funding. These are all warning signs they can no longer ignore.

Social housing is nevertheless a source of French pride. A balanced, solid model, recognized throughout Europe. It is based on a partnership between the State, local authorities, and landlords. Thanks to property subsidies and tailored loans, it allows for the construction of accessible, sustainable, and well-located housing. It guarantees a fundamental right: the right to housing. It fosters social diversity. It supports the local economy and the construction industry.

This model is in danger.

Since 2018, the government has withdrawn from the National Stone Aid Fund (FNAP), unbalancing the governance of social housing policy. The €1,1 billion annual solidarity rent reduction (RLS) is suffocating landlords. Public investment is shrinking, at the very time when demand is exploding.

Local authorities, however, have not deserted the situation. Elected officials continue to subsidize construction, guarantee loans, and process applications under the Delegation of Building Aid, often without technical or financial support from the state. They are doing their part. It is time for the state to do its part.

The inter-municipal authorities therefore call for:

• An immediate return of the State to the FNAP, to continue to ensure shared and effective governance;
• An ambitious multi-year program of stone aid, commensurate with the needs identified in the regions;
• A shock in the production of social housing, a veritable Marshall Plan to respond to the emergency, support the construction sector and guarantee the right to housing.

Without a strong, structuring, and lasting commitment from the state, the entire republican pact is faltering. Social housing is not an adjustment variable: it is a pillar of national cohesion, a lever for social justice, and a condition for the success of the transitions our country must face.

It is time to act.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.