'Méi, a méi séier bauen' – administrative simplification in progress and a new public-private partnership for affordable housing

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This presentation is part of the action plan to boost housing creation by reducing and simplifying procedures, as announced by the government in the coalition agreement. It is the result of the 1st housing relaunch package and takes account of the enhanced dialogue with the construction sector and Syvcol (Syndicat des villes et communes luxembourgeoises).

"Let's eliminate excessive bureaucracy where it doesn't add value to our society and our quality of life! This will free up energy for investment in priority areas: the planning and creation of attractive housing and living spaces", said the Minister for Home Affairs, Léon Gloden, when presenting the 40 measures in total. "Administrative simplification is a priority for this government, but it is not an end in itself. Each measure is designed to enable us to build more and faster, while ensuring a high quality of urban life for all.

The Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes, pointed out that: "We are going to considerably simplify and speed up the essential nature protection procedures for projects and buildings in areas earmarked for urban development. Thanks to nature-based solutions, these efforts will improve residents' quality of life. By promoting eco-friendly elements, we can strengthen the resilience of our neighbourhoods to the effects of climate change."

The main lines of action for administrative simplification are as follows:

• Standardize the General Development Plan (GDP) and Specific Development Plan (SDP) procedures;
• Abolish the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for PAPs of less than 4 ha of sealing;
• Increase in the number of affordable housing units in PAP "new districts" (revision of art. 29bis);
• Simplification of construction standards and regulations;
• National building regulations;
• Fewer environmental studies and compensation measures, while guaranteeing a high level of environmental and landscape protection;
• "Silence means agreement" for individual authorisations in stages;
• Reinforcement of government assistance missions for those involved in the construction industry;
• Digitalisation of procedures.

"Speeding up procedures on the one hand, and bringing together all the skills involved in building affordable housing on the other, that is the common objective of our approach", emphasised the Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning, Claude Meisch. "If we are to increase supply considerably, we need to work together. It's important for me to offer a wide range of measures that respond to the diversity of players – both public and private – without losing sight of the objective of all our efforts. In other words, to rapidly create the housing supply that is sorely lacking today, so that particularly low-income households have access to decent housing".

Measures to promote affordable housing in a "PPP" approach in a nutshell:

• Pilot projects on private land;
• Pilot projects on private land for employee housing;
• Pilot projects on public land:
• Procedures relating to the purchase of housing by the State under the VEFA ('vente en l'état futur d'achèvement', future-completion sales) scheme.

Press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning, the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity