Military housing was one of the priorities of the “Family Plan” launched in 2017 by Florence Parly, the Minister of the Armed Forces. And for good reason.
Indeed, according to the changes of assignment, it is sometimes complicated for a soldier or a civilian defense personnel to find accommodation in his new garrison, especially when the real estate market is under tension. [ce qui suppose des loyers élevés]. Also, the Ministry of the Armed Forces has 10,700 state housing [dont l’État est propriétaire, ndlr] and 20,800 others reserved with donors. And it also uses private landlords.
In 2021, 64% of housing requests were satisfied. Hence the launch, on February 14, of the “Ambition Logement” plan, which provides for an investment of 2.3 billion euros. This was the subject of a concession contract, awarded for 35 years to the Eiffage and Arche Vyv groups, united within the company Nové.
“The main challenge of the Ambition Housing Plan is to increase the number and quality of housing for Ministry of the Armed Forces personnel and their families. It is also a question of offering future tenants an exemplary quality of service during the 35 years of the contract”, explains the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
At the end of the contract, 15,000 housing units must have been built or renovated, the objective being to “guarantee the personnel of the Ministry of the Armed Forces and their families optimum living conditions, in housing of high environmental quality”.
Initially, it is planned to build 3,000 housing units, spread over 55 sites, in order to “meet the needs of the beneficiaries in terms of geographical location”. Then, 4,000 other homes currently managed by other service providers, under long-term administrative leases, will be renovated with a view to their reintegration into the national park.
This contract should also make it possible to improve the quality of the rental management service, via a “digital agency”, and to reduce rental charges.
The Ministry of the Armed Forces insists that this plan is “totally innovative for a public entity. 49% of its financing will be provided by the European Investment Bank [BEI]with the assistance of the Public Establishment of Military and Aeronautical Provident Funds [EPFP] and other commercial banks.
The choice of service provider was made following a procedure that gave rise to strong competition between the declared candidates.
“Many mechanisms for consultation, monitoring and control are planned in order to authorize both a strong capacity for initiative and proposal from the concessionaire, as well as close control by the Ministry of the Armed Forces, in conjunction with the management of state real estate [DIE]co-signer of the contract, ”explains the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
And to add that this device will make it possible to contribute to the “objectives of developing a housing stock at controlled rent, on public land intended to remain assigned to the Ministry of the Armed Forces, mainly in areas with high real estate pressure where families encounter the most difficulties in finding housing” and that it “thus contributes to the reduction of territorial inequalities and promotes the improvement of the living environment of the neighborhoods in which the programs will be implemented”.
