The solidarity and urban renewal law will evolve, the bill must be presented in May. The government intends to open the system to the middle classes and encourage the exit of tenants whose income is too high to qualify.
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To modify the Solidarity and Urban Renewal law (SRU law), the government relies on the assessment drawn up by state services. Over the period 2020-2022, 711 municipalities – out of around 1,000 which were already off track by not having enough HLM in their territory – did not achieve their catch-up objectives. This means that almost 70% of cities placed under surveillance still do not respect social housing quotas. It is therefore a question of correcting a system which shows its limits.
Remember that municipalities, subject to the law, must have a rate of 20 to 25% low-rent housing. Those who are below are assigned, every three years, an upgrading objective, under penalty of a fine. These fines brought the State 250 million euros in 2023. According to the results of the Ministry of Housing, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur appears to be the worst performer: 95 municipalities “deficient” out of 195 submitted for assessment. Île-de-France comes in second position, followed by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie.
Some 8% of HLM tenants would no longer be eligible, according to the ministry
One of the strong points is to integrate housing into the social housing system. “intermediate”, whose rent is regulated, higher than in HLM, but 15 to 20% lower than that of the traditional real estate market. The objective is to open the system to the middle classes, and no longer reserve it only for social classes “disadvantaged”. This provokes many left-wing mayors who denounce a deviation from the original social system.
The Minister for Housing, Guillaume Kasbarian, explains himself in the daily newspaper The echoes from Thursday April 11. The key argument: ending lifelong social housing for tenants whose incomes are high but who fall through the cracks. According to him, 8% of the HLM stock is occupied by tenants whose income is too high to qualify. In reality, the government wants tenants who are too rich to leave their social housing. The deadline is approaching since the bill must be presented to the Council of Ministers in May.
