REPORTAGE
An Alsatian mayor has taken a radical decision to fight against the desertification of its town center: in Muttersholtz, near Sélestat, vacant homes are now taxed! But homeowners who want to convert them to rent can also be offered substantial public support.
"This is a house where my grandmother and my mother lived." Arsene, the butcher of the village, contemplates his vast farm, remained abandoned for ten years. "When they died, I did not do anything because I did not want a tenant," he says. Now renovated, the house has been transformed into two apartments ... a bit despite its owner. "Mr. Mayor imposed me the housing-vacant tax."
In short: the stick or the carrot. That is to say the payment of a tax on the unmanned building - 400 euros per year in the case of Arsene - or the mobilization of a team and a financing to help the owners "to move" , according to the mayor's formula, Patrick Barbier. Architect, notary, financing ... of the 140.000 euros of works necessary to transform the farm of Arsène, 40.000 were provided by public aid.
Renovate the commune instead of enlarging it
Ten projects are already launched in the heart of the village, which the mayor prefers to rehabilitate rather than seeing new subdivisions on the outskirts. "There is still a little bit of work," says the city councilor. "We identified 80 vacant housing", or 8% of housing in this town of 2.000 inhabitants.