Construction of housing in Nantes (illustration).

-

S. Salom-Gomis / Sipa

  • Demographically attractive, the Pays-de-la-Loire region is facing a growing housing shortage.

  • Building federations and real estate developers are asking local elected officials and the state to react.

They say they are "very concerned".

The French building federation and that of property developers have jointly decided to sound the alarm in the face of the risk of a housing shortage in the Pays-de-la-Loire region.

What worries them the most is the significant drop in the construction of apartments and houses observed in 2020.

“Building permit authorizations have decreased by 12% compared to 2019. The drop is even 26% in Loire-Atlantique.

The forecast for 2021 is also seen as worrying.

“Housing starts are expected to decline by more than 11%.

Without strong measures, there will be a large deficit of built housing.

This downward trend is also observed for new homes put up for sale in 2020 by developers, especially in the Nantes metropolitan area.

With, as a consequence, in a region in demographic growth, a surge in prices in new and, above all, in old.

"The risk is to see all the middle classes expelled"

“The entire production chain is affected,” deplores Régis Rousseau, president of the regional building federation.

This has important consequences on employment, since behind each dwelling built we associate one or two jobs.

But it is also the housing offer for our fellow citizens that is weakened.

The risk is to see all the middle classes expelled from the cities.

There will be no more social mix.

"

Construction of housing on the Ile de Nantes (illustration).

- S. Salom-Gomis / Sipa

The two federations deplore damaging contradictions.

“We are constantly being asked to build cheaper, but the cost of materials is increasing.

It is forbidden to artificialise the soil, but the inhabitants are unfavorable to the densification of the city and are increasingly looking for a house with a garden.

It's extremely complicated, ”notes Régis Rousseau.

“We must unblock the situation!

"

The building sector and that of real estate development therefore require local authorities and the State "to act quickly".

“We have to unblock the situation.

If we don't speed up right away, we'll hit the wall!

», Warns Benjamin Haguenauer, president of the federation of real estate developers of Pays-de-la-Loire.

They make a few proposals.

Such as granting an additional tax credit to first-time buyers, speeding up urban planning procedures, or reducing the time taken to process legal appeals.

They also suggest reinventing the city by rebuilding it on itself.

“There are activity zones which are empty on weekends, which are dormant.

They can be conducive to experimentation, ”suggests Benjamin Haguenauer.

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