The Prime Minister spoke on Friday from Chanteloup-les-Vignes, in Yvelines, four months after the urban riots triggered by the death of Nahel, killed by a police officer during a road check.
After providing a security response to the urban violence of the summer, the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, chaired, Friday October 27 in Chanteloup-les-Vignes (Yvelines), an interministerial committee of cities, with elected officials from popular communes.
On this occasion, the head of government unveiled measures for the city’s priority neighborhoods (QPV). Franceinfo takes stock.
An evolution of city policy, particularly on housing
The Prime Minister announced that the geography of priority neighborhoods would be “updated” For “adapt as best as possible to realities on the ground”. This will be done within the framework of the new 2024-2030 city contracts, which will be concluded “these next few months”.
She also wants to fight against “the concentration of poverty” in the neighborhoods. “I ask the prefects to no longer settle (…) the most precarious people in the neighborhoods which already have the most difficulty”, in order to encourage social diversity. These are the households recognized as Dalo, for “enforceable right to housing”, which will no longer have to be allocated housing in the priority districts of the city’s policy, specified Matignon. Dalo households have a right to housing recognized by the courts and must be given priority in the allocation of social housing. Nearly 35,000 households obtained recognition of this right in 2022 and more than 93,000 remain awaiting rehousing despite this recognition, the vast majority in the Paris region.
The prefects will also be instructed to stop the creation of new emergency accommodation places, intended for homeless people, in these same neighborhoods. “All the difficulties cannot be gathered in the same place. Diversity is an opportunity. It is necessary”insisted Elisabeth Borne.
Support towards employment
“Training and employment are the keys to emancipation and the freedom of each person to choose their life”, estimated Elisabeth Borne. The head of government announced that the “Quartiers 2030” program, unveiled at the end of June in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) by Emmanuel Macron, would be extended. Objective: detect and support entrepreneurs from working-class neighborhoods in carrying out their projects.
A fund in favor of associations fighting against poverty, to re-mobilize those furthest from employment, will be allocated 300 million euros over three years, “half of which will benefit the residents of the neighborhoods”, assured Elisabeth Borne. Furthermore, it wishes to increase the number of partner companies in the “Businesses committed to neighborhoods” approach to 5,000, or 2,000 additional companies.
Finally, a policy of testing to combat discriminatory practices in “access to internships, hiring, housing or bank loans”, will be deployed. This practice consists of sending CVs or files of people differentiated only by one point that may be subject to discrimination (skin color, foreign-sounding name, address, disability, etc.) to the same employer, lessor or banker.
Strengthening public services
The Prime Minister wants “fight against inequalities of destiny”, in particular by focusing on school, health, and culture. She announced the opening of “100 additional crèches” in priority neighborhoods, co-financed by the public and private sectors. She also promised the opening of “60 health centers in the neighborhoods”which will bring together “health professionals and psychosocial support” who will have to “go to the residents and guide them”.
Elisabeth Borne also recalled that Emmanuel Macron had requested an extension of the opening hours of colleges from the start of the 2024 school year, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and the systematic opening of schools in the last half of August in the popular neighborhoods. Library hours in “500 communities” will also be extended, particularly on Sundays, she announced. The Prime Minister also confirmed the generalization of educational cities. This system, launched by the former Minister of the City, Jean-Louis Borloo, aims to improve the care of children from 3 years old and young people up to 25 years old, before, during and around school.
Finally, Elisabeth Borne reiterated her announcement the day before, according to which the first Republican Action Forces (FAR) would intervene by the end of the year in Besançon (Doubs), Valence (Drôme) and Maubeuge (North). This device aims to “address the difficulties that populations encounter, in terms of security, but also for judicial, educational or social responses”, by sending more police officers, but also finance officials, professionals from the educational and judicial sectors, or even social workers, temporarily in a neighborhood, Elisabeth Borne explained on Thursday. She also recalled that “no more police” would be deployed in priority neighborhoods, in particular to fight “against drug trafficking”.
Measures to accelerate the ecological transition
The Prime Minister announced that 24 new neighborhoods would be included in the “Resilient Neighborhoods” program to support the ecological transition. This program, launched in 2022 and endowed with 250 million euros, encourages the greening of renovation operations in selected neighborhoods. For example, by addressing the problem of urban heat islands, improving the energy performance of housing or encouraging the circular economy.
Elisabeth Borne also promised that 15% of the green fund, a system launched in 2022 to accelerate the ecological transition in the territories, would be targeted towards the city policy districts. Moreover, a major rehabilitation plan for degraded condominiums will be launched, with a dedicated bill. “Their renovation must be a priority”declared the Prime Minister.