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Second homes are numerous in some municipalities, and housing is less and less available for the inhabitants. Mayors want limit the number of these residences by taxing them more, as provided for in a bill.
With its Provençal charm and colorful facades, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône) is a small village in great demand. Real estate is skyrocketing here. There are many second homes, but housing is becoming less and less available to residents. With his salary as a waiter, Jeremy looks for a two-room apartment, but he can’t find it. “It’s very expensive. When you’re on the minimum wage even full-time like me with overtime, it’s a real problem”he says.
To increase the number of available homes, the mayor would like to limit the number of second homes by taxing them more as provided for in a bill. The surplus of secondary residences explodes the anger of the inhabitants, in particular in Brittany or in the Basque Country. In Théoule-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes), three out of four residences are second homes. The mayor therefore decided to increase the increase from 20 to 40% in 2023. However, the tax did not work. Owners of second homes find the tax unfair.