By Elodie Raitière
On Tuesday 6 June 2017, Richard Ferrand, Minister for Territorial Cohesion, confirmed that a ‘five-year plan for Housing First’ would be launched. During a round table discussion with around fifteen representatives from various associations, he reiterated that this was a promise made by candidate Emmanuel Macron to the Abbé Pierre Foundation on 31 January. The associations welcome this desire to ‘get started’ on a ‘Housing First’ approach right from the start of the five-year term, even though many questions remain unanswered: what will be the target in terms of number of homes, and what budget will be allocated to this plan? Bilateral meetings are set to continue this summer and the plan should be finalised in early 2018.
During his first meeting with representatives of fourteen associations working to combat exclusion (1) on Tuesday 6 June 2017, Minister for Territorial Cohesion Richard Ferrand confirmed that his government would implement a multi-year ‘Housing First’ plan. This commitment was made by Emmanuel Macron, then a candidate for En Marche, during the presentation of the 22nd report of the Abbé Pierre Foundation on 31 January 2017 in Paris.
During a round table discussion on accommodation and housing organised at the ministry on Rue de Varenne (7th arrondissement), Richard Ferrand indicated that the ‘Housing First’ strategy will aim to ‘significantly reduce the number of homeless people by 2022, by initiating this transformation of accommodation policy and access to housing’. The ministry specifies that the aim is to ‘move from an emergency response based mainly on accommodation places, which are often long and costly, to direct access to housing with social support tailored to people’s needs’, drawing in particular on programmes that have ‘already proven their worth in France’, such as ‘Un chez soi d’abord’ (A Home First).
‘Access to housing, whether standard or adapted, supported by the work of community organisations, will enable people in extremely precarious situations to embark on a path towards improved integration,’ concludes the ministry.
CAUTIOUS satisfaction from associations
Several participants in this round table contacted by AEF say they are satisfied with the broad outlines presented by the minister, while remaining vigilant. All welcome the commitment to a long-term approach, with this multi-year strategy that could give greater visibility to the various stakeholders.
For Christophe Robert, General Delegate of the Abbé Pierre Foundation, ‘it is a good thing to focus on housing first from the start of the five-year term’. Florent Gueguen, CEO of the Fondation des acteurs de la solidarité, praised the ‘good statement of intent’ made by the minister appointed on 17 May.
Territorialised approach
Another positive factor for associations is that Richard Ferrand is aware of the complexity of the actors involved in this policy – from the State to the departments, regions and local authorities – and of the need for a differentiated policy according to the territory. ‘We will need to increase the number of shelters in some areas, or replace them with independent housing in others,’ agrees Florent Gueguen, who is keen for his federation to ‘participate in the national management of the plan, but also in its regional implementation, via regional associations’.
‘In areas under pressure, he has been quite aggressive in his desire to create a supply shock, even when local authorities are not willing,’ says Christophe Robert. ‘The minister is also pursuing a policy of contractualisation with local authorities, which could be interesting,’ he adds.
In terms of methodology, stakeholders were won over by the logic of ‘co-construction’ with local authorities and stakeholders announced by Richard Ferrand, who has a “strategic” and ‘open’ vision, according to the FAP representative. ‘We were able to debate freely and pragmatically,’ said Michel Pelenc, CEO of Soliha, while Gilles Desrumaux, Unafo’s general delegate, appreciated the minister’s willingness to listen during the hour he spent with them.
Need for ‘mobilising’ objectives
But ‘we need to set motivating targets to break the deadlock between central government and local authorities, where each side is passing the buck,’ according to Gilles Desrumaux. During the meeting, the minister confirmed Emmanuel Macron’s announced target of creating 40,000 new places in rental intermediation and 10,000 additional places in boarding houses over the five-year term. But the participants in this round table are now waiting for quantified commitments in terms of ‘truly affordable housing for the poorest, in both social and private housing,’ says Florent Gueguen.
Another question raised by stakeholders is whether the financial commitment will also be for five years. ‘The change in approach required by Housing First may necessitate additional resources to support stakeholders during the reform period,’ Christophe Robert also suggests. He also wonders how much room for manoeuvre the government will have, given that it has also promised to abolish the housing tax for 80% of households.
Another source of concern: ‘Housing First must not simply be a strategy to save money on the accommodation budget, which will always be needed to manage flows,’ emphasises Christophe Robert.
‘NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF TERRITORIES’ MID-JULY
The minister will now hold bilateral talks with the various stakeholders in June and July to finalise the details of the plan. The various associations have expressed their desire for additional elements to be explicitly included in the plan, such as the fight against substandard housing and the prevention of evictions for the FAP, or the reception of migrants and the unconditional reception of homeless people for the Fédération des acteurs de la solidarité.
The associations hope to learn more at a ‘national conference of territories’ scheduled for mid-July, which will address the issue of housing, and then during a national day on housing organised at the start of the new school year. According to the ministry, consultations are expected to continue until the end of the year, with the plan to be finalised in the first quarter of 2018.
(1) The Abbé Pierre Foundation, the Federation of Solidarity Actors, Adoma, the Salvation Army, the Aurore Association, the Protestant Social Action Centre, Coallia, Emmaüs, Fapil, Habitat et Humanisme, Secours Catholique, Soliha, Unafo, Uniopss and the SOS Group.