€200,000 for 52 homes in June 2023, €51,000 for three homes adapted for travellers in October… Housing is a “priority” for Saint-Brieuc Armor Agglomération (SBAA), which is pursuing an “ambitious” policy to “meet the needs of the population”. “The country is going through an unprecedented housing crisis and the agglomeration is not spared by this phenomenon”, says Sylvie Guignard, vice-president. On average, there are 4.4 applicants for an allocation. And they have to wait 18 months before being able to access social housing. In the meantime, “people are sleeping in their cars”, “couples are separating but have to live together”, “ageing people or people with disabilities are finding themselves in unsuitable rentals”…
“Many households can no longer find housing, it is a real factor of precariousness”, warns Sylvie Guignard. Not to mention that in the territory, many programs are on standby – sometimes for several years – due to lack of financial balance. A situation due, in particular, to an increase in construction costs, which pushes back the delivery date of several housing units and worsens rental tension. To remedy this, the elected representatives of SBAA decided to vote, unanimously, an exceptional subsidy of €1,550,000.
Fighting social inequalities
Concretely, this involves unblocking these various sites to begin work within 18 months, by the end of 2025 (24 months subject to exemption). All via a “Boost housing” plan, started in February. “We are not asking for the impossible,” points out the vice-president. We worked in collaboration with Terres d’Armor Habitat (TAH) to study the feasibility of each operation. By ensuring, among other things, that building permits have all been filed and cleared.”
Ultimately, 344 new housing units must be put on the market in Langueux, Plœuc, Plourhan, Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Julien, Yffiniac, Lanfains, Plérin as well as in Foeil. “344 households will be able to find a roof over their heads,” says Joël Le Borgne, vice-president in charge of town planning, for whom this exceptional package appears to be “a means of fighting against social inequalities”.
€50 million in the local economy
173 will be created, 171 will benefit from a major rehabilitation. The agreement, signed with the social landlord, will take effect from this Sunday, June 30. The aim is also to “allow people to live close to their workplace”. To support the local economy, too. “Construction companies are suffering from plummeting orders and many jobs – mainly in the Côtes-d’Armor – are under threat. Thanks to the release of these programs, we are injecting more than €50 million.”
A “strong political choice”, according to Sylvie Guignard, especially since the Agglo had to “smooth out, postpone some projects” to succeed in freeing up this budget. An envelope spread over three years, “not mobilized immediately”. “But housing is multidimensional. It concerns everyone, is the first foundation of the establishment and balance of a household. Without housing, we cannot project ourselves into employment, into a family, into our health”.
