Several members of the “No to the demolition of Alma-Gare” collection went to the National Assembly on 30 November. They were interviewed as part of a bill to democratize urban renewal.
“It is a bill that has been worked on for more than two years, when we did not yet exist, with various associations including the Abbé Pierre foundation. They have joined forces with neighborhood collectives such as ours in Paris, Grenoble…” retrace Florian Vertriest.
On November 30, the president of the collective “No to the demolition of Alma-Gare” and some activists were heard in the National Assembly to support a bill that seeks to profoundly change urban redevelopment practices. To gather the testimony of the residents of Alma, several deputies made the trip such as David Guiraud, Barbara Pompili, Charles Fournier or Carlos Bilongo.
“I am in total agreement with this bill. On December 2, Deputy Bilongo will also come to visit the Alma. We have really created a good bond with these deputies, it’s fantastic”. appreciates Florian Vertriest.
The bill in question is called “Democratizing urban renewal and social housing” and wants to reform the ANRU, the urban renewal agency, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2023. It was born in 2003 under the impetus of Jean-Louis Borloo, who committed the State to a massive renewal plan for popular neighborhoods. But the project is stalled: in 2020 only 50% of the promised new homes were built.
However, this has not prevented the launch of a second major program in 2019, the “new national urban renewal program” (NPRU). “Out of 329 neighborhoods, il provides for the demolition of 65,600 homes, 53,100 reconstructions and 84,800 renovations for a budget of 10.3 billion euros”managed by the ANRU, recall the signatory associations of the proposal.
Four main orientations are developed in this bill:
- Create a “citizens’ initiative democracy fund” to enable finance the collective organization of citizens and the possibility of an independent second opinion
- Guarantee the right to information and inhabitants initiative in terms of urban planning to co-construct urban renewal policies
- Guarantee a neutral animation of the consultationfair and independent
- Organize at the request of citizens, “accounting meetings” throughout the urban renewal process
Among these 329 neighborhoods, that of Alma, in Roubaix, where the NPRU has unleashed a wave of protests among the inhabitants. In Alma, 480 housing units are to be destroyed, of which 428 are social housing, for a plan that envisages 390 renovations and only 90 constructions. The neighborhood collective accuses the municipality and the owners of having orchestrated the abandonment of the neighborhood to expel the inhabitants, and even speaks of a “excellent substitute”.
“We also got to know the other collectives: when they talk, we understand each other. They experience urban planning projects like we do. They try to tell us that we are the problem but no, everywhere we meet the same problems. argues Florian Vertriest.
The mayor, Guillaume Delbar, believes this revision is necessary to solve the problem “structural problems of the neighborhood” and remains firm on his project. “It has been noted that these large complexes are doing poorly in general and the aspiration is not to rebuild the towers. It’s about finding an attraction, a living environment” plead. His team refutes all allegations of lack of information and consultation of residents.
The municipal opposition, through the voice of councilor Michel David, denounces a poorly implemented project: “Let’s end with the current situation: no support for the project, no trust in one’s word, so much resignation and anger” he launched during the Oct. 6 city council meeting.
The conclusions of the drafting associations of the bill, after their hearings, formulate conclusions that go in the same direction. “Many urban regeneration projects are imposed with an authoritarian and top-down approach, without the understanding and support of the inhabitants. These projects are imposed without the possibility of a second opinion and without a serious economic, social and environmental evaluation” they write. “Everything is in line with our requests”summarizes Florian Vertriest.
Minister Olivier Klein could bring the bill to the National Assembly in mid-December.
