Case Study: ERDF Programme for Energy Efficiency in Housing in Aquitaine Region

Short Description

In may 2009, in the context of the revision procedure of the Article 7 of the ERDF Regulation, the European Union allowed to use 4% of the national ERDF amounts to improve energy efficiency in social housing.
In France, this has been integrated to the objectives of the social housing organisations and to the commitments they had made in the context of the French Grenelle plan.
The budget of 320 millions euros allocated to energy performance and sustainable energy in social housing enable the organisations to implement projects that are exemplary and repeatable.

In France, projects that are supported by ERDF must:
- focus on dwellings that are the most consuming energy
- being exemplary and having a knock on effect
- concern a lot of dwellings

ERDF is a complement to other fundings:
- the eco-loan of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations
- subsidies from public national agencies (ADEME, ANRU)
- subsidies from local collectivities

The implementation in France has good results thanks to a strong mobilisation. At the European level, an active lobbying has been developed to the European Institutions. At the national level, the French Federation USH has worked with the French Administration on the conditions of implementation of the ERDF measure in regions. At least, the French regional associations for social housing have worked with their partners on the identification of the needs in local stocks, the definition of eligibility criterion, a strategy of intervention on the stock and a support to local organisations.

In Aquitaine Region all financial and institutional actors have worked together to develop a shared regional strategy of retrofitting homes. They defined a concerted funding and intervention rules. The regional association has established an internal support to mobilize the social housing organizations. The partnership continued through the implementation of the program, with a technical adviser who can help to develop the skills of operators, through the exchange, capitalization, training, monitoring and instruction of the projects.
Partners are now working on the new energy strategy and must make important choices as the definition of priority assets, the type of work to support, and how to involve inhabitants.

Key Elements

Main Results

ERDF funds allow to realize energetic refurbishment for 5900 houses within 2011.

ERDF funds for Aquitaine Region are divided as follow:
Regional ERDF amount:392
4% of the ERDF funds for Housing: 15,7
Allocated amounts: 15,0
(millions Euro)

Lessons learned

In France, the mobilisation to implement the ERDF measure should have strong effects on energy performances of the retrofitted housing stock.

Additional Information

For any information please contact:

Sylvie Régnier
Director of AROSHA
s.regnier.arhlmaq@union-habitat.org

Website: http://www.union-habitat.org/espacearosha