Claire Simmoneau is part of the organizing committee for this conference.
Co-organized by Daniela Festa, Un. La Sapienza, Rome as part of the Habiter research project with the support of MSH Paris Nord and by the COBRA research team The contribution of OFS-BRS to affordable housing: a comprehensive approach – Lab'Urba – LATTS – UPEC/USH
Tuesday, December 6, 2022, 9:15 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Hybrid format: In person at the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme Paris Nord, Salle Panoramique, and via videoconference
An overview of the experiences of Solidarity Land Organizations, the challenges and issues involved in their development will be provided in two round tables with presentations by: Anne Vauvray, Director of Development, OFS, Plaine Commune; Yannick Fieux, EPFL Basque Country – OFS Bizitegia; Christian Chevé, President, Coop Foncière Francilienne; Pascal Masson, former Director of Keredes, Hlm Cooperative, partner of Foncier solidaire malouin; Elorri Olasagasti, Research & Development Manager, COL, Hlm Cooperative – OFS Basque Country; Jean Baptiste Debrandt, Head of Housing Services, City of Lille; and Michel Bonord, President of OFS Métropole lilloise.
We will also discuss this topic with contributions from: Xavier Lièvre, Notary Partner; Vincent Le Rouzic, Director of Studies at La Fabrique de la Cité; Séverine Dusollier, Professor at the School of Law, Sciences Po; Thomas Perroud, Professor of Public Economic Law, Pantheon-Assas; Claire Carriou, Professor at the Paris School of Urban Planning; Benjamin Coriat, Professor, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Head of the Globalization, Regulations, and Innovations Research Group, MSH Paris Nord
The Organisme de foncier solidaire/bail réel solidaire (Solidarity Land Organization/Solidarity Lease) is considered the French version of the community land trust, which has already been widely tested under common law in the United States and the United Kingdom.
This new form of "ownership," which is currently spreading in civil law systems, is based on the separation of land ownership from the right to use the building, which makes it possible to remove the cost of land from the price of housing, and on multi-stakeholder non-profit governance. These two principles combined offer households with limited financial means the opportunity to purchase their primary residence, and enable cities to maintain a stock of affordable housing in the long term despite growing speculative pressures.
OFSs were introduced in France in the Urban Planning Code with the ALUR law of 2014, and their operation has been refined through successive reforms (2015; 2017). Their widespread use is unexpected and has been growing steadily over the last five years. According to the Ministry of Housing, 101 OFSs were approved until April 2022, with 23 projects identified, 16 of which are currently under review. The outlook is for around 20,000 BRS homes by 2024.
This surprising development prompts us to examine, through the eyes of the players in this emerging sector, the implementation of this new form of real estate ownership and its impacts.