Le Sens du service publique, a think tank created in 2021 by senior civil servants, proposed seven measures on Tuesday to facilitate access to housing for the 5.7 million public employees, while awaiting a burst of parliamentary proposals.
The creation of a real policy of access to housing for public agents is essential, insists the think tank created in 2021 by fifteen executives from the State, hospitals and local authorities and which today brings together around fifty agents wishing to modernize the administration to provide the best service to users.
In a note sent to the press on Tuesday and distributed the day before by the Jean Jaurs Foundation, this left-wing think tank notes a growing distance between the homes and workplaces of civil servants, due to the rise in real estate prices.
This distance causes an increase in journey times, significant physical and mental hardship (…) and an increase in pollution linked to travel by private car, going against the ecological objectives of public employers.
The difficulties can be such that they demotivate working in the public sector in urban areas, while the civil service is already experiencing serious recruitment difficulties.
Le Sens du service publique therefore proposes to make it compulsory for the employer to participate in the housing efforts of its agents, either by facilitating their access to social housing, or by paying them a housing voucher, or by contributing financially to the construction of housing.
He also suggests thoroughly revising the residence allowance, a bonus awarded to certain civil servants working in extended areas.
In the absence of a recent update, the mapping of these areas where the housing supply is particularly limited no longer absolutely reflects the reality of the difficulties of access to housing depending on the territory.
The think tank finally proposes extending the Visale rental guarantee to all public employees and developing a range of temporary or emergency housing to provide dignified accommodation for agents who have just been transferred or seen their family situation change.
The government announced a first set of measures for the housing of civil servants in July 2023, and took additional measures for a few tens of thousands of civil servants working near the Swiss border.
Renaissance MP David Amiel was also responsible for formulating proposals on the subject. His report is expected in February.