Sébastien Lecornu in Marseille, April 23, 2026. THIBAUD MORITZ / AFP
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Thursday, April 23, a new housing bill to speed up construction and give local authorities more decision-making power. One of the proposals is to allow certain homes currently considered too energy‑inefficient to be rented again, provided owners commit to improving their energy performance over time.
Lecornu described the housing crisis as "a key issue" that "cannot wait" until the 2027 presidential election. In January, he set a target of building two million new homes in France by 2030. To hit that goal, the government is pushing streamlining measures, including the creation of a special "local interest operation" with simpler rules and more flexible planning constraints.
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France's housing crisis is straining relations between landlords and tenants
