Impossible desegregation? The thwarted implementation of the reform of social housing allocation in France

Résumé :

On paper the Equality and Citizenship Act 2017 constituted a major change in housing policy in France. By reforming the social housing allocation process, this law clarified the objective of social mix and sought to strengthen the capacity of intermunicipal actors to deal with the segregation of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Based on a collective research project centered upon allocation policies conducted between 2017 and 2020, this article examines how the objectives of this reform have been implemented. We first show that, despite that the Equality and Citizenship Act clarified the principle of social mix and the redistribution of roles amongst local actors, desegregation policies nevertheless remain ineffective. Our analysis highlights the importance of the mobilization of those actors who occupy a central position in housing allocation, namely municipalities and social landlords. Without challenging the reform’s overall objectives, these actors have often managed to appropriate its legal instruments in order to limit its transformative effects on housing policy. However, although desegregating social housing areas has been difficult, the reform has led to new policy documents, instruments, and objectives for public action. It has also strengthened intermunicipal bodies and increased local actors’ awareness of social and territorial inequalities.