“We are entering a period of crisis”: the Hérault Building Federation sounds the alarm

Gilbert Cosmos and Bertrand Couronne, president and vice-president of the Hérault Building Federation. Midi Libre – Mélissa Alcoléa

About a hundred people attended the FFB meeting this Friday morning at the Raoul-Barrière stadium. DR

Gilbert Cosmos and Bertrand Couronne, President and Vice-President of the Hérault Building Federation. DR

Une centaine de personnes a assisté à la réunion de la FFB, ce vendredi matin au stade Raoul-Barrière. DR

Meeting in Béziers on Friday, January 24, the French Building Federation of Hérault intends to support its members as best it can in a period that promises to be difficult. Its representatives want to raise awareness as soon as possible among entrepreneurs in the sector and guide them.

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“We are entering a period of crisis and we want to show all that we can bring to our members”, summarizes Gilbert Cosmos, the president of the French Building Federation of Hérault. This Friday, January 24 in the morning, alongside his vice-president, Bertrand Couronne from Béziers, he welcomed around a hundred people to the brasserie at the Raoul-Barrière stadium in Béziers. And the goal was clear: “To explain everything we can bring them.”

Because the picture painted is dark: “The Federation has been announcing what is happening for over 3 years now, but we have not been heard, deplores Gilbert Cosmos. The construction industry has been forgotten by successive governments. And there has been a desire to break the model of real estate development with tax incentives…” And to draw up an alarming observation, figures to support it: “The production of new housing has been halved in 2024 compared to 2023 in Hérault. And we have measured a 65% drop in the construction of individual houses, which affects crafts.” Enough to generate tensions on the rental market.

Béziers resists better

“In 2024, public procurement took over. On the other hand, what about 2025, 2026, 2027 ?”ask the two men. Calls for tenders are becoming rare. Because many communities are facing significant budget problems. “We haven't seen this for decades, it's tough”, says Bertrand Couronne. But in this context, Béziers is holding up better for the moment.

To help entrepreneurs “to raise their heads from the handlebars” and better anticipate the situation, the Federation offers support on insurance and tax issues, it can also “provide technical expertise on standards, skills development, transmission, a whole series of tools…”, lists Bertrand Couronne. “It's about enlightening them so that they can negotiate the turns to be taken as soon as possible.”

In Hérault, the construction sector represents 10% of GDP (compared to 6% at the national level), 26,000 jobs without counting temporary workers, the self-employed… Note that the Federation reopened offices in the city of Riquet 2 years ago.

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