Illustration of a shop closed during the second confinement.

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Ugo Amez / SIPA

  • The Hauts-de-France regional council has voted for a deliberation to help small businesses.

  • The subsidy makes it possible to cover half of the rent for the month of November for the 50,000 points of sale administratively closed.

  • Certain communities of agglomerations had already taken similar decisions to save independent businesses.

The last link in the chain.

In turn, the Hauts-de-France regional council voted on Tuesday for a deliberation to help independent local shops.

This involves paying half of the rent for the month of November for points of sale closed by administrative decision linked to the Covid-19 health crisis.

This aid "can concern up to 50,000 businesses", suggests the president (DVD) of the regional council, Xavier Bertrand.

“This is the total number of small businesses affected by the closures,” says Christophe Coulon, regional vice-president, in charge of the file.

Or 35,045 shops and services and 20,473 restaurants and bars, according to the Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Emergency envelope of 5 million euros

A first emergency envelope of 5 million euros has been released.

“But it's expandable.

Potentially, we know that we can go up to 25 million, ”adds the elected official.

This system complements the various measures already taken by certain communities of municipalities.

The metropolis of Lille, for example, had voted, in June, an aid of 20 million euros, under a "rebound fund", to assume the equivalent of three months of rent up to a maximum of 1,500 euros. , especially for traders and craftsmen.

The urban communities of Compiègne, in the Oise, and Douai, in the North, have also just taken a similar decision.

Cities forgo cash collection

Because this second confinement, imposed since October 30, plunges many small traders into substantial financial difficulties in the face of a drastic drop in turnover.

Cities like Lille or Roubaix have given up collecting municipal rents when the walls belonged to them, "but the municipalities do not have the right to pay direct aid to businesses", explains, at

20 Minutes

, the town hall of Roubaix.

It happens that some private landlords - the CCI has no figures - agree to make a gesture by also drawing a line on the rent.

The practice is however far from being generalized and "the rent constitutes the biggest part of the fixed charges", underlines Christophe Coulon.

Less than 10 employees

Stores with less than ten employees, having achieved less than two million turnover in 2019, and having applied for the solidarity fund for the month of November, will therefore be able to benefit from this regional subsidy, capped at 500 euros.

On the other hand, those who have not requested from their lessor the waiver of one month's rent with regard to the tax measures, in the form of tax credit, offered by the State or whose lessor has already accepted a cancellation of rent.

Strasbourg

Strasbourg Eurometropolis puts more than 2 million on the table to help local commerce

Economy

The abolition of rents for businesses, a "common sense" measure that may not be enough

  • Trade

  • Lille

  • Subsidies

  • Tradespeople

  • Rent