On Thursday, February 13, 2025, the Collectivité de Saint-Martin, the State and Action Logement signed a historic tripartite agreement to address the housing emergency on the island. Faced with growing real estate pressure and a land cost that has become prohibitive, this partnership aims to structure and strengthen local housing policy.
The agreement provides for the construction of 1800 social and intermediate housing units by 2031 to alleviate the current shortage. It also includes the renovation of the existing stock and the fight against substandard housing. The objective is to offer decent housing to low-income households while stabilizing the local workforce.
Concrete actions from March 2025
Among the key actions, the Visale system will be set up to secure owners and tenants, thus encouraging private landlords to rent to a targeted public without financial risk. From March 4, 2025, three major systems will be available: a rental guarantee for young people under 39, facilitating their access to housing; a home ownership loan, allowing young couples and executives to acquire their first property; a work loan, essential for post-hurricane renovation and improvement of the existing stock. On April 2, the Mobilipass aid will be deployed to support employees in difficulty in their search for housing.
A vision shared by local stakeholders
For Louis Mussington, President of the Collectivité, “this signature marks a decisive step in the future of our island”. He underlines the need for solutions adapted to the reality of the territory to avoid a model similar to that of Saint-Barthélemy, where access to housing has become inaccessible for many inhabitants.
For his part, Bruno Arcadipane, president of Action Logement, accompanied by his delegation and representatives of its real estate subsidiary SIKOA, highlights his group's desire to "expand the scope of possibilities" and "shake up the lines" to provide concrete solutions to the people of Saint-Martin. He emphasizes the importance of "boosting local construction" and supporting the economic development of the territory.
Finally, Prefect Cyrille Le Vély, who has just taken up his post, welcomes this progress, recalling that “working together is the key” to meeting this major challenge. He is committed to supporting the implementation of this agreement, which is part of a broader dynamic of structuring the territory.
As officials have pointed out, all that remains is to implement these commitments effectively and pragmatically. Presentation of the projects in our next edition. _Vx
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/logement-une-convention-inedite-pour-ouvrir-le-champ-des-possibles/
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