Victim of seasonal rentals, this Cévennes village must build housing

The rural exodus is not inevitable. Pont-de-Montvert-Sud-Mont-Lozère (Lozère), a rural commune bringing together three villages installed in the heart of the Cévenol massif, is even now faced with a housing problem. “Despite all our efforts, we cannot house families working in the town. They find themselves having to live further, ”deplores the mayor, Stephan Maurin (without label), who observes an increase in housing requests from the Covid epidemic.

Classified among the twenty most popular French destinations in the summer of 2024 by the Airbnb platform and ideally located on the famous path of Stevenson, the town was caught up in its success, proving to have become a paradise for residences secondary. “This is the whole problem,” points out this resident at the sight of the many houses with closed shutters in early February. “The owners prefer to offer seasonal rental than to rent a year, much less profitable. As a result, the locals no longer find accommodation in the village. »»

An eco -neighborhood at the entrance to the village

Faced with this incongruity, the small Lozérienne municipality has decided to launch the construction of 18 new housing. A challenge when there are only 582 inhabitants per year and limited financial means. The overall investment for this project is in fact estimated at nearly 2 million euros, or almost double the annual budget of the municipality.

Save public services

For the mayor, the stake is up to the effort to be provided to bring about fifty new inhabitants: “The town has a crèche, a school, a medical house and even a gendarmerie … to be maintained at all costs. On the inhabitants side, the project seems rather well received. “Out of the twenty thirty -year -old couples installed in the village, some will soon start a family, they will need to grow,” says Fabien who holds the grocery store. “But provided that it does not make it a matter in the air all the beauty of the area,” Chantal, a beekeeper installed here for more than forty years. And whatever the village spirit where everyone is involved, “adds Romain, a child of the country who took over the Cévennes bistro last May.

Finally, it remains to know who will be welcomed in these new accommodation and with what work. The famous question of employment, the next subject on which the mayor of the town promises to tackle.