The CNR Logement sends its proposals to the government, summoned to act

The three reports of CNR Housing, which AFP obtained, will be officially "returned" to Olivier Klein on May 9, it is explained in the entourage of the minister.

"Twenty" of the proposals they contain will be retained by Olivier Klein and sent to the Elysée, which must centralize the proposals of each component of the CNR and choose which to apply or experiment, we add to the ministry. "The other proposals will continue to feed the minister's reflection".

The CNR Logement, added late to the series of thematic CNRs (health, youth, public service, etc.) wanted by Emmanuel Macron, intends to respond to emergencies around housing: more than 4 million poorly housed people, new buildings broken down , too slow energy renovations...

Since its launch at the end of November, recognized personalities from the world of housing have collected grievances and proposals on three subjects: "How to give back to the French people the power to live?", "Reconcile France with the production of new housing" and "Making housing at the forefront of the ecological transition".

"We need enormous ambition in the field of housing. It is a decisive vector in the lives of our fellow citizens", pleads with AFP Christophe Robert, general delegate of the Abbé Pierre Foundation and co-host of the CNR Logement with the CEO of Nexity Véronique Bédague.

Radical change

Most of the recommendations sent to Olivier Klein aim to simplify or make more effective tax aid and measures, local authority decision-making mechanisms or support for vulnerable people.

But some of them would introduce major changes, such as controlling land prices, on the model of what some cities already apply for rents; or the establishment in certain areas of a minimum density for new constructions, in order to limit urban sprawl.

There are also recurring demands from professionals, such as financial incentives for builder mayors, or the creation of a private lessor status.

"The idea was to make proposals, few in number, but which really made it possible to make a radical change, and which achieved consensus among the stakeholders", explained to AFP Christine Leconte, president of the National Council of France. the order of architects and co-leader of the working group on ecological transition.

These notebooks are independent of each other and do not constitute a political program. Their overall cost is not quantified, even if several measures would have an impact on public finances.

Among them, additional expenditure for the renovation of housing, for social landlords, the training of building professionals or to combat poor housing.

Other recommendations suggest using the tax lever, by taxing, for example, real estate capital gains or the most attractive territories.

stop procrastinating

Because there is an emergency: professional federations, social landlords, associations for the poorly housed ... are increasingly annoyed openly to see the multiplication of consultations, too little followed by effect according to them. Like the "Great Debate" that followed the Yellow Vests crisis in 2019, or the Rebsamen commission in 2021...

“The government must stop procrastinating, it must act,” implored Emmanuelle Cosse, president of the Social Union for Housing, which represents social landlords, on Tuesday.

"The audits are shared, are known, the solutions, not revolutionary, are known, (...) so it is no longer worth wasting our time in the meetings", also squeaked, at the beginning of April, the president of the French Building Federation, Olivier Salleron.

At the end of this new consultation, "if there is no listening, it would be incomprehensible", warns Christophe Robert. "But until that's done, we have reason to worry."