The Federation of Lifts welcomes the measures announced by the Government

So many topics raised by vertical mobility professionals, who mobilize daily with decision-makers in construction, urban planning and elected officials so that mobility for all is a concrete reality, in collective housing and individual house, in the new as in the old, in business real estate, as in all public spaces.

The Federation of Lifts at the forefront of accessibility

When we talk about accessibility, we enter into the immediate daily life of French people, whether it is access to their accommodation, to public services, and to the various facilities that promote life in the City. It is essential that the city be developed to allow equal access to each citizen who has to deal with a loss of autonomy, mobility or disability.

Faced with the aging of the population and urban densification, lift professionals are the essential link in connecting the inhabitant to the City, with several vertical mobility solutions available (lift, elevator, platform, seat stairlift, escalator, moving walkway, goods lift, etc.).

However, to improve the mobility of our fellow citizens, and to join the latest government announcements, three challenges are emerging now:

• The essential renovation of a very dilapidated French park
• A home care support policy
• An investment in accessibility to public services and places

Regarding the renovation, if the park now has 637.000 elevators, 25% of them are over 40 years old. An alarming figure underlined by the respondents of the last IPSOS barometer for the Federation of Lifts: For 96% of French people, it is important to replace these dilapidated lifts. 58% of respondents even believe that it is an absolute priority.

In addition, in 2050, 20 million French people will be over 65 years old. Adaptable and most suitable housing can contribute to meeting the challenge of ageing. According to one of the latest Qualitel barometers, while two-thirds of people over 60 (67%) would like to spend the rest of their life in their home, half (49%) consider that their home is not suitable to an elderly person, mainly due to the presence of steps. A challenge confirmed in the barometer of the Federation in which 57% of French people believe that vertical mobility solutions assist in home support and improve daily life.

Finally, accessibility to services and public places remains mixed, and even considered very average by those polled. For example, 51% of respondents believe that public transport, metro and RER stations, are under-equipped. Same observation for 50% of French people in administrations (town halls, prefectures, etc.) and 46% for cultural places.

Government measures in the continuity of the work of the Federation

Beyond the announcement of the 1,5 billion euros released by Emmanuel Macron, the government presented a set of measures related to housing and accessibility, like the "HLM Trust Pact", "Ma Prime Adapt'" and a unique platform to inform and facilitate the daily lives of seniors.

The Federation of Lifts welcomes the government measures announced which echo the actions already carried out by the profession.

• Pact of trust HLM and renovation: in the context of the last presidential elections, the Federation made several "proposals to make life easier for residents in buildings and in cities", including the establishment of a renovation aid called " My Prime Renov' Lifts”. She also took part in the heart of the debates by meeting several elected officials, such as Valérie Pécresse and the Île-de-France Region who released aid of 2 million euros per year to renovate the elevators of the private social park.
• Ma Prime Adapt' and home care: the Federation took part in a study by the Silver Éco sector on the economic impact of a policy of massive adaptation of housing to aging as part of the implementation of the "Ma Premium Adapt'”. However, the Federation warns of the possible end of the tax credit on December 31, 2023, relating to equipment expenditure for the elderly or disabled, which will very strongly call into question the investment capacity of households.
• Accessibility: The profession of lift and elevator technicians aims to design, deploy and maintain vertical solutions that facilitate accessibility and mobility for all. The Lift Trophies highlight a selection of recent achievements that have been acclaimed for the service they provide to their users, particularly in the categories of access to housing, individual and collective (housing segment, functional aspect, housing comfort, home maintenance), and accessibility in public spaces and tertiary buildings (Improvement of the urban route, integration into the City, user experience).

On the strength of its actions already carried out and recent announcements, the Federation of Lifts welcomes the plan announced by the government and remains available to support the public authorities in the deployment of measures devoted to housing and accessibility.