The French Building Federation (FFB) expects new housing to continue to grow in 2022, but is also concerned about a major and imminent crisis in this sector, in its outlook published on Thursday.
In 2021, new housing returned to strong growth, after a continuous decline since 2018 and above all a sharp halt with the 2020 confinements. figures upwards, the FFB seeing in it the confirmation of a powerful attraction of the French for individual housing, reinforced by the constraints born of the health crisis.
Conversely, collective housing (buildings, apartments), remains below its pre-pandemic level, with a strong dropout in the extended areas which need it the most, regrets the FFB.
If in 2022, the turnover of building professionals could gain more than 7% in new housing, it is mainly thanks to the building permits of 2021, indicates the FFB which remains cautious, however.
The Federation emphasizes that the number of building permits is now decreasing and cites several obstacles to activity; firstly the rise in the prices of materials and energy, which forces professionals to cut back on their margins or increase their prices; the increase in mortgage loans; or even the requirements of local authorities in terms of construction.
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The FFB also targets environmental standards, in particular RE2020, which comes into force on January 1 and which aims to decarbonize housing construction, and the principle of zero net artificialisation which, if not yet binding for housing, risks accentuate the land shortage.
Land scarcity, local Malthusianism, rate hikes, double-digit premiums: in the face of needs, all the ingredients for a major and imminent crisis in new affordable housing are in place!, she concludes.
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