29 93. In the replies to the questions posed during the Public Hearing, the Government clarified that, as a result of the Law of 5 March 2007, the budgetary means were increased. The objectives of the Social Cohesion Plan of June2004 were increased; originally it provided for the construction of 500,000 social housing for rent between 2005 and 2009, this was increased to 591,000. The number of social houses constructed in 2005 was 80,000 and 96,200 in 2006. B. Assessment of the Committee 94. The Committee recalls that there must be an adequate supply of affordable housing. Housing is deemed to be affordable when the household can pay the initial costs (deposit, advance rent), the current rent and/or other costs (utility, maintenance and management charges) on a long-term basis and still be able to maintain a minimum standard of living, as defined by the society in which the household is located (Conclusions 2003, Sweden, p. 655). 95. Governments must adopt appropriate measures to encourage the construction of housing, in particular social housing (Conclusions 2003, Sweden, p. 656). 96. In Conclusions 2005, the Committee found that the stock of social housing in France was manifestly inadequate. According to the report there were 1 300 000 applications in the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. The National Plan of Action on Social Inclusion (PNAI) estimated that there were 1 640 000 applications for social housing outstanding on 1 June 2002, whereas 80 000 dwellings were scheduled for construction in 2004. 97. Since then, the Government has taken a number of steps to improve the situation. The Committee has considered all the information presented and notes in particular: - a significant increase in new starts in 2005, - various measures in the 2006 legislation that have not yet had their intended effect, - the provisions of the Act of 5 March 2007. 98. However, the Committee notes that even if all these objectives were achieved, that is 591 000 new social housing units were built by 2009, there would still apparently be a considerable shortfall compared with needs, insofar as needs can be measured by the amount of applications made for access to social housing. There would also appear to be no clear policy mechanism in place to ensure that due priority is given to the provision of housing for the most deprived members of the community, and that the assessment of the needs of the most deprived is built into the programme of providing social housing.