Housing and accommodation in the face of social, territorial and ecological challenges

In France, having a place to live is an essential prerequisite for working, building a future, being independent, starting a family, etc. It is a right enshrined in law.

However, the housing crisis has been growing and accelerating for several decades. The number of homeless people has reached dramatic levels. Four million people are poorly housed, social housing applications are largely unmet, and new housing construction is at its lowest level since 1995. At the same time, the purchasing power of French people is being impacted by an increase in housing-related expenses, which have become the largest item in household budgets, while a growing number of them are unable to get on the property ladder. At the same time, socio-demographic changes are accelerating and intensifying: ageing, new family structures, urbanisation, desertification of certain rural areas, compounded by the increasingly dramatic effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. These profound changes are giving rise to new needs, which are currently difficult to quantify, but which must be taken into account and anticipated: summer comfort, adaptation to dependency, size and location of housing, etc.

The responses to these needs, in terms of quantity but also in terms of social diversity, territorial balance, quality of life, access to nature, etc., must be both national and local, promoting cooperation between the State and local authorities. They must involve all types of housing: social housing, private rental, collective and individual housing, access to home ownership, with an emphasis on upgrading existing buildings to limit land consumption and the environmental impact of the sector.