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A lackluster session at the Metropolitan Council tackled important themes such as the housing plan.
Moreover, since Christian Estrosi “no longer engages in politics” – as he likes to say, and has chosen not to present and defend all the dossiers, leaving the responsibility to the delegated elected officials, the tones are less sharp, and the conductor’s baton is more used to give the cue, the tempo, and the tone to the orchestral players from his camp rather than being waved and pointed against the opponents.
As a result, the criticisms — yes, the opposition criticizes… — are less direct, more technical, with softer words.
For the protocol, following the resignations of Loïc Dombreval, incompatible due to his election to the National Assembly, and Michel Meini, two new vice-presidents have been elected and integrated into the executive composed of 20 delegates: they are Janine Ginetta (deputy mayor of Nice) and Paul Burro (mayor of Belvedere). Some minor changes have occurred within the delegations.
A promotion, more formal than substantial, but it seems to have pleased the individual concerned, for the 1st Vice-President Louis Négre, now a delegated President, whom Christian Estrosi wished to thank “for his involvement in the major files of our Metropolis and the role he plays at the national level to represent it.” There is no doubt about the effectiveness of his amicable cunning.
The main course of the menu, if we can call it that, was the presentation of the Habitat Plan 2017-2022 concerning the 49 municipalities. Before being finalized, it will need to be submitted for approval by the municipal councils.
Coordinated by the commission’s president, Madame Dominique Estrosi-Sassone, the preparatory work included consultations with all the stakeholders in the territory on diverse and varied issues.
In a legislative framework bounded by rigid national standards (15 municipalities, the major ones are subject to Article 55 of the SRU law concerning the percentage of social housing in relation to the housing stock), the PHL is a guideline plan in terms of land use planning.
This plan, beyond the figures, confirms “the dynamics in place and pragmatically and realistically continues the efforts already underway,” said the senator, whose expertise in the matter is known and recognized even by opponents. “It meets the expectations of mayors, who remain the primary responsible for everything that happens in their territory and is respectful of the environment.”
It was impossible to miss the intervention of the socialist Paul Cuturello, a historical critic of Madame Estrosi-Sassone in the municipal council of Nice and the metropolitan housing office.
His leitmotif is always the same: the lack of social housing, which, in addition to failing to meet the needs and rights of 70% of a population who are eligible, causes secondary effects on the housing market and negatively impacts the transportation strategy, affecting economic development. It all adds up.
“Saying that the housing situation in our territory is ‘tense’ is almost an understatement. Our fellow citizens, especially the most modest ones, face enormous difficulties in finding housing; as a reminder, 70% of households are eligible for social housing.
The prices in the private sector, whether rental or homeownership, are prohibitive, and the social housing stock is very insufficient, lagging significantly behind the SRU law (20% raised to 25) since there is only 11.41% social housing in the entire Metropolis.
What could be the cause of this supposed impossibility if not political will? So today, you are proposing a PLH that, like the previous one, confirms the refusal to catch up on the accumulated delay. As in 2009, we cannot accept this resignation because those who suffer from it are our most modest citizens.”
It was the delegated president Louis Négre who took charge of the response: “the PHL aims to address all components of a housing policy, not only social housing” and reminded the socialist elected official that his references to the City of Nice could not apply to the Metropolis.
True, except that Nice represents 60% of the metropolitan population, so…
In fact, the new law resulting from the “Consensus on Housing” conference should change the situation and confirm, through appropriate and more flexible provisions, the diverse and sometimes opposing situations between urban and rural territories, cities of different sizes, etc. The keywords are pragmatism instead of ideology, experimentation instead of dogmatism.
The deliberation concerning the feasibility study of the ‘Second Chance School was unanimously approved.
The E2C is a mechanism that allows for the comprehensive support of young people who have left the school system without qualifications. It relies on tailored training, social support, and business mentorship to enable or at least facilitate the integration of individuals into the workforce.
At the national level, 116 school sites are already active and welcome 15,000 young people with encouraging and positive results.
Why are Nice and its metropolis without it? The polemical answer from Christian Estrosi: “We could not do without the Region’s funding, which helps with the operation but especially with the trainees’ remuneration (about 300 euros per month). Since the change in the majority, which the delegated president of the Region diplomatically calls ‘a more favorable political context,’ it has been possible.
Dominque Boy-Mottard (center-left), joined this deliberation: “One may regret that it is happening so late, while so many young people under 25 in the Metropolis are unemployed, and while 124 schools already exist in 12 regions and 56 departments. But I believe there were some problems in the past regarding funding that could not be attributed to you.
But never mind the past. It’s now happening and rather well. Indeed, if it is possible to support this project with the CFA, it seems to present only advantages. Therefore, I will enthusiastically vote for this deliberation.
A third strategic deliberation adopted was the concession agreement with Enedis for the provision of energies at regulated tariffs to all the municipalities of the Metropolis.
Beyond the technical terms, it involves the unique governance of this common good, an essential tool for daily life and the attractiveness of the territory from an economic point of view.
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