“It’s a return to a fully-fledged ministry,” says former Housing Minister Emmanuelle Cosse.

“It’s a return to a full ministry”rejoices Emmanuelle Cosse, former Minister of Housing and Sustainable Habitat, interviewed by France Culture. In office within the government of Manuel Valls, Emmanuelle Cosse was responsible for Housing, but was part of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion. Now, with the new government of Michel Barnier, it is a ministry entirely dedicated to Housing and Urban Renewal, with the appointment of Valérie Létard to this position.

“This is what we regretted with each reshuffle”explains Emmanuelle Cosse, now president of the Social Union for Housing. “We had either deputy ministers or secretaries of state, and it happened that a government was appointed without any housing minister. This weighed on the housing issue in government discussions.”adds the former minister.

Emmanuelle Cosse also welcomed the appointment of Valérie Létard as the new Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal: “[C’est] a woman who knows the subjects very well, who is an expert, who has already worked in this field.”

But the former minister remains cautious about Valérie Létard’s room for maneuver. “The real question is: what can Michel Barnier do, what is he prepared to accept, will this issue be financially supported in the 2025 budget?”asks Emmanuelle Cosse, who hopes that “With this appointment, we recognise the scale of the housing crisis, which is truly catastrophic.”