The Council of Europe Development Bank and Caisse des Dépôts strengthen their cooperation in support of child protection and specific housing in France

Paris - The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is mobilising €200 million to step up the Caisse des Dépôts' efforts, via the Banque des Territoires, to provide housing and accommodation for vulnerable groups and children in care.

This funding takes the form of a loan package to the Caisse des Dépôts, signed today by Carlo Monticelli, Governor of the CEB, and Olivier Sichel, Chief Executive Officer of the Caisse des Dépôts.

This financing envelope will strengthen Banque des Territoires' loan offering to finance the construction, renovation and adaptation of housing and reception facilities for the most vulnerable: young people in care, people facing severe hardship, women victims of violence, dependent elderly people, persons with disabilities, as well as students and young workers with limited financial resources.

Notably, the loan will contribute to the development of facilities dedicated to children in care, for whom the needs remain particularly high in France. Between 2016 and 2021, three loans enabled Banque des Territoires to co-finance more than 15 000 places in care facilities with high social utility.

With this new loan, the CEB's cumulative support for the Banque des Territoires' initiatives now stands at €650 million.

At the Caisse des Dépôts Group level, the CEB has approved nearly €1 billion in financing for social housing, very social housing and specific housing since 2015.

To date, six direct loans totalling €750 million have been approved with various entities of the Caisse des Dépôts Group (Banque des Territoires, Adoma and Ampère Gestion/Hémisphère) to finance projects in the areas of low-income housing and assistance for refugees, migrants and displaced persons.

The projects concerned are as follows:

• CDC (Banque des Territoires): €450 million (three loans of €150 million, including two additional loans approved in 2021) to finance the construction and/or renovation of housing and reception facilities falling within the scope of specific housing
• Adoma, a subsidiary of CDC Habitat: €200 million (two loans, including €100 million additional funding approved in 2021) to finance the construction and renovation of accommodation facilities for vulnerable groups of people
• Ampère Gestion, also a subsidiary of CDC Habitat: €100 million for the 'Hémisphère' project, dedicated to providing emergency accommodation for asylum seekers and other vulnerable populations.

"This new loan illustrates our shared commitment to vulnerable groups, particularly minors, and to more inclusive living environments throughout the country. By combining long-term financing and close institutional and operational cooperation, the CEB and Caisse des Dépôts are providing concrete solutions where social needs are greatest and where traditional financing mechanisms are insufficient to meet them," said Governor Monticelli.

"Behind every project we finance, there are children, families and vulnerable people who need a safe place to rebuild their lives. Thanks to the renewed support of the CEB, the Banque des Territoires will be able to support more useful and innovative projects. Together, we are giving local authorities the means to take concrete action for the most vulnerable," says Olivier Sichel, Chief Executive Officer of the Caisse des Dépôts Group.

This operation is part of the strategic cooperation between the CEB and Caisse des Dépôts, formalised by a memorandum of understanding signed in October 2023. This provides for enhanced coordination of activities, knowledge sharing and joint communication initiatives, particularly in the areas of social housing, social infrastructure and the social and solidarity economy.

The two institutions also cooperate within the European Alliance for Sustainable and Inclusive Social Housing, created with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Union Sociale pour l'Habitat, to facilitate access to European financing for French social housing operators. Since its launch, nearly €2.5 billion in CEB and EIB financing has been mobilised via Caisse des Dépôts for the benefit of the sector.

The Alliance will play a leading role in the implementation of the European plan for affordable housing in France.

More broadly, over the last ten years, the CEB has approved 29 projects in France, representing more than €3 billion in financing for social investments, particularly in social housing, health, education, local public infrastructure, the social and solidarity economy, and the financial inclusion of vulnerable groups.

Press contacts
Caisse des Dépôts Group: Aurélie Imbert - [email protected] +33 6 77 56 38 82
Council of Europe Development Bank: Alice Vandenberghe - [email protected]

https://www.caissedesdepots.fr/en