A package of measures will have to be voted

"I will not act", had announced Christine Boutin, Minister of housing and the city, taking office in spring 2007. Almost eighteen months later, on October 14, it will defend in the first reading in the Senate his text entitled "mobilization for housing". 27 Articles repeat the many measures announced or developed meetings"construction site" in Lyon, which had met, in September 2007, all the actors in the housing market. "We're in a country of written law, said today the Minister." "I thought can make the economy of a law, but, to satisfy the policies, I need it, even if it is the fifth in five years." It will be the present in five cities, on 19 September in le Havre, 22 in Saint-Nazaire, before going to Avignon, Gagny, and Strasbourg.

A package of measures will have to be voted. As if the good will of all was not sufficient to implement the mechanisms for rebalancing of the housing market. This text says things, full, sometimes contradicts them. Again gathered in the basque country for interviews of Inxauseta August 29, professionals deplored the absence of a grand vision. The constant recall of presidential directives to build 500,000 new homes, including 120,000 social every year, and to move towards a France of owners does clearly not provide keys to achieve these goals. The appeal of the Minister to "give everyone a roof" is also insufficient. For several months, his message is blurred by the ups and downs of the market.

Social home ownership

The figures for the production of new housing for 2008 will be less than 400,000 and should count 70,000 housing. The crisis flu for a few months transactions. Policy implementation in 2008 to build and construct still cannot resist the uproar of the market. The fall in sales of new homes has reached 34 in the second quarter of 2008 over the same period of 2007. It exceeds even 50 in Midi-Pyrénées, in the Centre, in Lorraine and Burgundy. Housing starts also declined by 11.6 between May and July 2008 over the same period in 2007 ( 6.6 over a year), then that the applications for building permits fell 16.6 (12.6 in the last 12 months ).

Yet, the range is wide to push the French, even modest, to become owners and thus to facilitate the housing chain by releasing social rental park spaces. Pass-land, which allows buyers to purchase the walls of their house and then, once their first loan repaid, of contracting another to pay the land begins to operate. Some 2,000 households there have recourse since its release early 2008, including those who have chosen to embark on the adventure of the House at 15 euros per day. The Act will return to this device that separates the acquisitions of walls and soil acquired for individual habitat, to extend it to the buildings. Last January, the text had failed in the Senate, to the chagrin of the real estate professionals, which have not spared efforts since to convince members of Parliament to the vote.

The assignment of the HLM housing by donor agencies is in the same direction. December 15, a ripped from the world of the social housing agreement the placing on the market of 40,000 social housing units per year, the annual figures of sale never exceeded 6,000. "Should be that purchasers occur," says Pierre Quercy, Delegate General of the social Union for Habitat (USH)." The boards of Directors of the public housing offices have changed after the elections. It often took redefining strategies and movements have significantly delayed the process.

The most effective, including in times of crisis, is the lowering of VAT at 5.5 in the areas of urban renewal and a perimeter of around 500 metres. Private developers is there are not deceived and groups such as Nexity, Constructa, the Provinces now built in suburban deemed off-market a few years ago. "We continue to well to sell our programs in the outskirts of Lyon, for example explains Raymond Leroy-Liberge, the President of the provincial group." "Purchasers are aided by loans at zero rate and are not, contrary to what one thinks, the victims most affected by the crisis." The Minister would now apply this subsidised from 5.5 to all construction new "even temporarily", an idea to which Bercy a veto outright but which takes Christine Boutin. This proposal is not in the Bill. "This is not a reason to not try to pass, it would be a great tool for recovery," insists.

It is still to promote accession to the property that, contrary to what was promised the Minister had even announced sanctions against mayors disobedient the Bill questioned the famous article 55 of the SRU law. Defended by the Abbé Pierre on previous reform, it imposes on Commons urban more of 3.500 people hold in their Park at least 20 of social housing. The new text provides to honour this quota to include private acquisitions financed with public aid. But the social Union for habitat denounced the offered possibility

legally to mayors to refuse their territory the most difficult to produce social logementslocatifs, reserved for the poorest households.

Do not forget the tenants

In 2008, the tenants in the private sector have also benefited reforms: moderation of the rents by the change in the calculation of the index of rent review now aligned on the price of consumption, reduced to one month of the deposit to the signing of a lease, guaranteed rental risk (GRL) that the Minister would like to extend to all... Measures little appreciated by owners donors, still demand a legal status and legal security more. By restricting the geographical areas of deferred rental investment, such as the "Robien-Borloo", the text of Act does not meet their expectations. Its editors had not expected that the financing of the RSA would still increase the taxation of these owners nor that this measure would be announced a few weeks before the discussion of the Bill. "It is discouraging, said Jean Perrin, the President of the National Union of real estate property (UNPI).". We surveyed our members. Some 3,000 responded: 25 of them do not wish to continue to invest in the stone.

The Bill finally addresses a taboo subject that the social Union for habitat thought settled since December. Article 20, which provided to exclude gradually Park housing households whose incomes exceed the double resources ceilings chosen for the allocation of social housing, is a keypad in the mare. Even if it is only about 9,000 homes of a total of 4 million that could actually shelter elsewhere, he began the sacrosanct principle of the "tenure" or "maintaining social Park". The Department there is the possibility to place those who need. "Even if the decision does not affect the poorest tenants, it effort and they did not need this." "The eviction of the more affluent households is not a credible response to the expectation of the 1.2 million registered applicants or effort of social mix in the buildings we are pursuing", explains a chargé de mission to the USH.

The situation began to relax in some areas where the construction effort is bearing fruit, but hundreds of thousands of families are still on the housing waiting lists. Others do know through mediation commissions to enforce the law against housing (Dalo). "They had yet assured me that it would never work explains Christine Boutin, today the committees are in place in the departments. They have not yet passed the test of fire: it was not until December that they will be obliged, at the end of the Act and subject to be prosecuted as representatives of the State, provide housing.