Marine Tondelier and Grégory Doucet Mobilize for “Decent and Affordable” Housing in Lyon
Lyon, July 15, 2026 – Marine Tondelier, the presidential candidate for the Ecologists, concluded her Lyon tour yesterday, dedicating her second day to the critical issue of housing. Alongside Lyon Mayor Grégory Doucet, she held a press conference in the 3rd arrondissement, near the Part-Dieu shopping center, to present and enrich the party’s 560 proposals aimed at ensuring access to healthy, affordable housing and addressing public health concerns.
Sustaining Rent Control: A “Fruitful” Measure
Renaud Payre, co-president of the Ecologists group at the Lyon Metropolis, highlighted a stark reality: “The poorer one is, the larger portion of their budget is spent on housing.” He attributed this to “nine years of Macronism” and a “lack of housing policy,” criticizing Housing Minister Vincent Jeanbrun’s stance on reintroducing F and G-rated DPE housing to the market as “a discourse of a slumlord.” The Ecologists advocate for two primary goals: maintaining rent control and guaranteeing access to healthy housing.
Rent control, currently in effect in several French cities including Lyon and Villeurbanne, faces threats. The government, in May, expressed opposition to its generalization, citing fragmented institutional management and insufficient statistical data. Véronique Sarselli (LR), the new president of the Lyon Metropolis, also intends to abolish it, despite its popularity. “On average, 2,400 euros are returned to tenants who have initiated proceedings. It works,” stated Payre. Mayor Doucet confirmed the effectiveness of the system in Lyon, asserting, “The device will not solve all real estate market problems, but we never claimed that rent control would allow us to build more housing. That is not the issue. It addresses a specific problem, and studies have shown its effectiveness. Why deprive ourselves of it?” Doucet has also written to the Housing Minister, requesting that mayors be given the authority to implement or forgo rent control.
Integrating Housing Temperature into Lyon’s Health Criteria
Mayor Doucet emphasized, “Our objective in the City is to allow access to decent and affordable housing. Everyone must be able to live in housing that does not preempt the rest of their life.” This issue is particularly pertinent given France’s recent heatwaves, which have brought to light the problem of unhealthy, excessively hot housing. In the 1st arrondissement, a study by the association Locataires Ensemble revealed that two-thirds of homes lack shutters. “This seems basic, but when you don’t have shutters, it’s as if you have a radiator constantly on at home,” said Yasmine Bouagga, mayor of the arrondissement, highlighting the “real public health issue” of migraines and other heat-related problems. She added that efforts are being made with City services and Architects of the Buildings of France on facade renovations in this UNESCO-classified area.
The Mayor of Lyon announced the development of an aid fund, promised during the municipal campaign, expected to be launched “next summer.” This fund will assist both tenants and owners in making necessary adjustments to reduce indoor temperatures. Furthermore, the City of Lyon, responsible for assessing housing healthiness, plans to incorporate housing temperature into its analysis criteria. Doucet also intends to request the State’s services to establish a prefectural decree to “consolidate the legal aspect of this approach.”
A Subject “at the Heart of Social Life”
Marine Tondelier asserted, “I sometimes hear that the right and the left are the same when it comes to housing. Well, no, it’s not the same, and we clearly see who is on the front line.” She explained, “This is not a subject we chose at random. It is at the heart of social life. Without decent housing, one cannot eat well, work well, rest well, or live with family. And above all, one does not feel safe.” Tondelier praised her group’s “360-degree vision.”
In the context of the upcoming presidential election, Tondelier criticized President Emmanuel Macron’s actions. “They made regressive laws. I preferred when they didn’t deal with housing, because these two mandates have been mandates of contempt and social cynicism. Today, many French people are in an asymmetry with their landlord,” she lamented. She plans to present an “environmental and social shield” in September, which will address the “three main spending items for French people: housing, transport, and food,” and propose solutions to improve purchasing power, employment, and the climate.
Tondelier’s next stop is Chalon-sur-Saône.
Source: https://www.lyoncapitale.fr/actualite/a-lyon-marine-tondelier-et-gregory-doucet-mobilises-pour-garantir-l-acces-a-des-logements-dignes-et-abordables
