Regional housing needs by 2050

A study published on October 15 by Insee Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and the Regional Directorate of the Environment, Urban Planning and Housing of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (Dreal) predicts that the region will need 92,000 new housing units by 2050. The main reasons include a growing number of households and the need to replace inadequate or poor-quality housing.

Primary and secondary housing needs

The study estimates that 70,100 new primary residences will be needed between 2022 and 2050. An additional 4,400 vacant housing units are required to help with residential mobility, such as people moving for work or other reasons. In the meantime, existing secondary residences and vacant homes could cover a quarter of the demand between 2023 and 2040.

Addressing current housing gaps

The research also notes that a portion of the population in the region lacks a personal residence, including those living in hostels or in poor conditions. To address this, the study estimates that 21,600 dedicated housing units will be needed over the same period.

Concentration of housing needs

According to Patrice Perron, a project leader at Insee for Est Républicain, the demand for housing is not spread evenly. For example, Besançon alone is projected to need 9,500 new housing units by 2050. The Swiss border area, which is already facing housing pressure, is also expected to see a concentration of these needs.

Trends compared to past growth

Although the projected need for 92,000 housing units by 2050 seems high, it represents a significant drop compared to the previous two decades. Between 2000 and 2020, 257,000 housing units were built in the region, with two-thirds being single-family homes. Existing housing stock also helped meet demand during that time.