Sure, here is the translation:
The Nice Front Populaire movement presented its first electoral proposals this Wednesday. The list led by Mireille Damiano highlights the housing crisis and announces a targeted action plan.
“Priority on housing!” The tone is set. The list running for the municipal election, Nice Front Populaire , has chosen to start its municipal campaign with a central theme: housing. During a public meeting, Mireille Damiano and her team denounced “decades of inertia” and “a deliberate political choice by successive mayors of Nice who have never prioritized housing.” The assessment is harsh. According to them, the city suffers from a lack of rent regulation, a high number of secondary residences and vacant homes, as well as a shortage of social housing. The consequences affect all categories: families, students, the elderly, workers. A significant portion of households spends more than 40% of their income on housing. In response to this situation, Nice Front Populaire announces several key proposals:
- Develop and better manage social housing
- Implement rent control
- Impose a moratorium on overtourism
- Expropriate vacant homes that have been empty for over five years
- Prohibit the construction of new secondary residences
The movement asserts its desire to “rebalance the power dynamic between property rights and the right to housing.”
Social housing and rent control
The collective reminds us that Nice only has 14% social housing, while the SRU law mandates a minimum of 25%. More than 26,000 families are waiting. The Local Housing Program plans for 1,250 constructions per year, but nearly 3,500 would be needed to meet the legal target.
Nice Front Populaire proposes to build on already developed sites (modified by humans such as vacant housing – Editor’s note), lower the social mix threshold to 500 m2, and systematize city and Metropolis preemption to transform private housing into social housing.
The management of the social housing stock is also targeted. The movement wants to ensure transparency in allocation, launch a rehabilitation plan, and strengthen the role of tenants. The list proposes establishing “resident councils” to monitor maintenance contracts and participate in decisions. According to Nice Front Populaire, the presidency of Côte d’Azur Habitat, currently held by first deputy Anthony Borré, should be entrusted to a person available 100%, without holding multiple offices.
Regarding the private market, Nice Front Populaire wishes to implement rent control. The measure, already applied in Paris or Lille, would set a reference rent by neighborhood and housing type. Financial penalties would be provided in case of non-compliance.
Overtourism, vacant homes, and secondary residences
The movement denounces the capture of real estate by tourist rentals. It cites several recent hotel projects and believes the city has reached the “maximum viable level of attractiveness.” The solution proposed is a moratorium on overtourism. Two levers would be used: a strict control of AirBnB-type rentals and a commitment to prioritize local housing in every real estate arbitration.
Another measure is the expropriation of vacant homes that have been empty for over five years. More than 30,000 homes would be affected. Owners would have one year to put their property back on the market, with possible support for renovations. After this period, the municipality would initiate an expropriation procedure to convert these homes into social housing.
Finally, Nice Front Populaire wants to prohibit the construction of new secondary residences. The metropolis has 17%, compared to the national average of 10%. This provision has been legal since November 2024. It would be integrated into the Local Urban Plan, with zones reserved for permanent housing. Each building permit and each notarial act should specify the destination as a primary residence.
The movement summarizes its project with a phrase: “No, Nice is not for sale. Yes, poor housing is not a fatality in Nice.” It asserts that it has “the determination and political will to successfully carry out this fight.”
