In France, since Act 1 of the transfer of power from the government to local authorities ("Décentralization") in the early 1980s, the State has gradually territorialized its housing policies. This slow process ultimately resulted in a complex network of public actions within the housing field, where the competencies of the different ruling bodies often overlap. Within this patchwork of responsabilities, metropolitan authorities ("Etablissement de coopération intercommunale- EPCI") have been appointed by lawmakers as the leading entity to implement the housing policy on a local scale. This research attempts to analyze the learning mechanisms at work in the design and the implementation oh housing policies on a local basis, in the context of uncertainty that characterizes public action in general, especially in the urban field. It draws on an empirical study of two local areas, accustomed to metropolitan cooperation, and experienced in dealing with housing issues on a local basis : greater Lyon and greater Dunkerque. This study first takles the role of the State in its understanding of the new responsabilities granted to the EPCI. It especially shows that this process can be a source of confusion for the local authorities, as the State can often be more destabilizing than hepful. It also shows the on-going weakening state of local government services. Then, the study deals with the learning mechanism of the EPCI, and notably the ressources available to design and implement their local housing policies, as well as their capabilities to by-pass the lack of coercition of these resources (education, technicization, contractualization). Lastly, it deals with the advantages and the limits of this dual learning process. Is shows that the issues of time and trust are essential, and makes suggestions for future research
