Foundation Stone Laid for Gravity Real Estate Project

Thursday 24 September 2020 marked the laying of the foundation stone for the “Gravity” real estate project in Differdange, in south-western Luxembourg.

The Gravity municipal real estate project is an example of how a municipality, as a public developer, has attempted to tackle the challenge of affordable housing for all.

By 2023, the 20-floor residential tower will provide 80 housing units, most of which are planned for rental or sale at affordable prices. Today, Luxembourg's Minister of Housing, Henri Kox, together with the officials of the municipality of Differdange attended the laying of the first stone of this flagship project.

The €40 million investment will allow the City of Differdange, with the support of the Ministry of Housing, to considerably increase its housing stock while ensuring a social mix to promote an improved quality of life. The Gravity project thus pays particular attention to the mix between rental and sale, the presence of people of all ages, the integration of people with reduced mobility, low-income households having difficulty finding housing in the private market and larger families.

The municipality of Differdange has a tradition of creating affordable housing together with public promoters, such as the Housing Fund and SNHBM. This time, the city has made itself a public promoter of affordable housing. During the laying of the foundation stone of the Gravity project, the Minister of Housing congratulated the municipality for its "responsible and visionary" approach.

Housing Minister Henri Kox recalled that it is essential that municipalities take up the challenge of affordable and public housing. With the new housing pact, the state will further support municipal initiatives to develop a public housing stock that remains affordable in the long term.