In this district of Cannes, the City aims to renovate 300 homes by 2029

Public and private sectors hand in hand for the Republic. On Friday, at the council meeting, elected officials approved the partnership between the City and seven social landlords (1) – eight, including Erilia, which had already signed an agreement in 2021 that led to the acquisition and rehabilitation, effective or underway, of 50 social housing units – with a clear objective. To be able to take control of three buildings each, and to provide, between 2026 and 2029, 300 housing units in the Prado-République sector. "A fundamental deliberation," assures the mayor, David Lisnard. The result of "consistency, but also of an acceleration in the reconquest of a neighborhood with a promising future, after decades of decline. With the desire to increase social, ethnic, commercial, and artisanal diversity."

In the retail sector, a dynamic initiated in 2016

The continuation of a dynamic, initiated for around ten years and which has, in particular, led to the creation of the Romain-Gary library-media library (2017), the opening of the BIJ (Youth Information Office) in 2022 or, last year, the installation of the Red Cross dental practice and the La Plateforme computer school. Not forgetting the commercial pre-emption right, which has allowed, since 2016, the acquisition of fourteen businesses and the installation of fifteen new brands.

And then there is housing and this partnership concluded in 2021 with Erilia: "It makes it possible to import families, middle-class workers ," continues the mayor. "It also helps fight against substandard housing. We know that there is housing for people in an irregular situation and seasonal housing in substandard conditions. We saw this very clearly during the storm of September 23, since two foreigners could have died in a cellar, where they were housed by slum landlords."

131 buildings in the sector have only one owner

Thus, alongside the lessor, the City, between the rehabilitation of premises belonging to it (villa Mireille, Maison des associations) and the purchase of buildings (4-6 rue Mimont, 45 and 114, boulevard de la République) was able to put around a hundred housing units back on the market, without additional artificialization. "It's starting to count and we're seeing the visible effects. We wanted to bring other partners [the EPF Paca is also lending its support] into the equation." With seven additional lessors in the loop, the boost is underway. And facilitated by the fact "that 131 buildings in the neighborhood have only one owner," simplifying, a priori, acquisitions. The metamorphosis continues at République. And should allow Cannes, with its 18.36% of social housing (figures as of January ^1, 2024) to maintain its status as a "good student", the municipality no longer having been deprived of the SRU law for two years now.

1. OPH Cannes Pays de Lérins/Socaconam (Cannes construction and development company), whose merger was approved during the meeting; Unicil; Logis Familial; CDC Habitat; 3F Sud; Habitat & Humanisme; Agis06.

What will become of the former Adapei site?

Following the deliberation on Prado-République, an internet user inquired about the future of the building located at 44 Avenue du Petit-Juas. The complex housed Adapei (the departmental association of parents and friends of people with mental disabilities) and its Épanouir residential home until September 2023 and the opening of the new site on Boulevard Oxford. "When Adapei left, the building was squatted ," says David Lisnard. "So we asked for the site to be secured, with the opening being sealed off and a protective wall being built." Since then? Nothing. But the situation should change quickly. "The general director of Habitat 06, the owner of the property, confirmed to us on May 5 that a complete renovation project is under consideration." The mayor even indicated that a building permit application will be submitted "next fall. While maintaining the site's social purpose, to accommodate people with disabilities."