Building Industry and French New Housing Markets

Nobody is arguing against the fact that more housing should be built. Consensus on housing needs stands at over 400,000 units per year. However, it is not only a quantity matter. The location is crucial too. Indeed, no part of the territory should be ignored due to the renewal needs, but the emphasis should be put on the most strained areas, where achievements have clearly declined since 2000. If the land shortage is denounced as the major cause of this structural housing deficit and, thereby, has a consequence on property price, it must be underlined that it does not constitute an obstacle to the construction of non-residential buildings. Obviously, elected officers prefer non-residential construction at the cost of housing for purely political reasons. This is where attitudes have to change in order to really tackle the housing crisis, which has only been an act of speech until now.