Housing for civil servants: the situation is “unbearable”, warns a parliamentary report

David Amiel, a member of the Renaissance party, has raised concerns about the housing situation for public sector workers in France. He described the situation as “unbearable” in a report submitted to the government, which recommends reserving social and intermediate housing for civil servants. He noted that there is a general housing crisis in France, but public sector employees are particularly disadvantaged compared to those in the private sector due to the lack of an equivalent to Action Logement. To address this issue, Amiel proposes immediate measures such as extending the Visale guarantee to public sector employees over 30 years old under the same conditions as those in the private sector.

In addition to immediate measures, Amiel suggests conducting a quick assessment of the housing needs of public sector employees in each region. He emphasizes that the needs for social or intermediate housing, support for home ownership, and temporary housing vary greatly from one region to another. He also calls for the development of new housing options specifically for public sector employees who are struggling to find housing. Amiel advocates for increased partnerships between public sector employers and landlords to allocate a certain number of intermediate housing units to public sector employees.

To address the social emergencies faced by public sector employees, Amiel proposes establishing a framework to allocate housing within social housing developments or youth hostels to public sector employees. Additionally, he recommends facilitating access to subsidized loans for employees by making the fiscal and social framework of these loans more attractive. These proposals will be formally presented to the government during the third Interministerial Committee on Housing for Public Sector Employees in Bordeaux.

Amiel’s report highlights the urgent need to address the housing challenges faced by public sector workers in France and proposes a range of measures to improve their access to affordable and suitable housing. By focusing on immediate actions such as extending the Visale guarantee and conducting regional housing assessments, as well as longer-term solutions like developing new housing options and fostering partnerships between employers and landlords, Amiel aims to alleviate the housing crisis facing public sector employees. The government will consider these recommendations as part of ongoing efforts to improve housing conditions for civil servants.