France outlines major housing investment plans at WUF13

France allocates around 1.5–2% of its state budget annually to ensure decent housing conditions for citizens and plans to build 2 million new homes by 2030, French Ambassador to Baku Sophie Lagoutte said during a panel session at the World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13), Report informs.

The diplomat noted that despite large-scale government programs, Paris still faces significant challenges, including adapting governance to increasing decentralization, integrating vulnerable groups, and expanding housing supply without excessive urban sprawl.

"We allocate up to 2% of our budget annually for these purposes. We have recently launched an updated housing plan aimed at creating a broad supply through the construction of 2 million housing units by 2030," she said.

She also highlighted social rental housing as a key pillar of France's housing policy, noting that the country currently has 5.4 million social rental units, accounting for about 16% of the total housing stock.

According to her, such housing is financed through a system combining long-term loans of up to 80 years, government subsidies, tax incentives, and employer participation in construction financing. The properties are managed by non-profit organizations, the largest of which serve more than 300,000 housing units, and rents in them are significantly below market rates.

"Social rental housing is the most important foundation of any housing policy, as it makes it possible to guarantee a roof over the head of even those who are temporarily unable to purchase their own housing, including young professionals at the start of their careers," Lagoutte explained.

The ambassador also spoke about support measures for low-income families for housing renovation and about the mechanism of separating ownership of land and building, which allows reducing the cost of housing while maintaining high construction quality.

In addition, the speaker noted that modern environmental standards in France strictly regulate the carbon footprint and take into account the full life cycle of buildings under construction, which directly aligns with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

"We are convinced that our developments and mechanisms can be successfully adapted and replicated in other countries. They demonstrate in practice that it is possible to effectively combine social, environmental, and economic requirements. France is fully open to cooperation with all foreign delegations interested in integrating these modern approaches," Sophie Lagutte concluded.