French housing crisis: 4.2 million people poorly housed, Digi Mart USA News (France): Substandard housing, energy poverty and the threat of eviction are weakening millions of people across France, according to the Fondation pour le logement. The foundation estimates that 4.2 million people are poorly housed and that another 12.3 million are affected by significant housing difficulties.
In its 31st report on the state of poor housing, published in February 2026, the Fondation pour le logement described an alarming situation. Finding housing, paying rent and living in dignified conditions have become difficult for millions of French people, the report says.
The 4.2 million poorly housed people either lack a personal home or live in particularly difficult housing conditions. The 12.3 million people weakened by the housing crisis face excessive costs, unpaid bills or energy poverty.
The foundation estimates that 350,000 people are homeless in France, sleeping on the streets or housed in emergency shelters or hotels. More than 600,000 people are also forced to live with relatives because they cannot access independent housing, a largely invisible form of poor housing that deprives them of privacy and stability.
Others live in deteriorated or uncomfortable homes, sometimes without heating, water or adequate sanitation. Energy poverty worsens these difficulties, and the foundation says millions of households struggle to heat their homes properly, putting their health and quality of life at risk.
Young people are particularly affected. According to the 2026 student housing survey by the FAGE, one student in three is poorly housed.
More than four in ten say they live in housing with significant thermal problems, and mold, water damage and pests are also among the difficulties reported.
Housing weighs heavily on students’ budgets. Rent accounts for an average of half their resources, an average of 491 euros per month.
After paying rent, more than one student in five has less than 100 euros per month to live on, and some must work alongside their studies to finance their housing.
Corinne Joly, president of PAP, the private-to-private classified listings site, says the current crisis has built up over several decades. Population aging, rising separations and shrinking household size have increased housing needs, but construction has not kept pace: “We are in the middle of a construction crisis, we have not built this little for a very long time,” she warned.
In the most sought-after areas, especially large cities, the gap between supply and demand has become considerable. In Paris, some studios receive up to 1,500 applications, according to Joly.
Rising interest rates, the cost of materials and land, and financing difficulties also hold back home ownership. Households that can no longer buy remain renters, while some investors are turning away from the property market, further reducing rental options.
“The buying crisis leads to the rental crisis, which reinforces the buying crisis,” Joly summarized. In this context, rental applicants often have little room to negotiate and may be forced to accept housing that is too small, too far from work or lacking in comfort.
Single-parent families bear particularly heavy consequences because they must cover household expenses alone. According to the Secours Catholique, nearly one single-parent family in ten shares its home with other adults because it cannot secure independent space.
The combined weight of rent, food and energy bills further strains these families and their children.
When financial difficulties accumulate, the risk is falling into arrears and then losing one’s home. According to figures released by the Chambre nationale des commissaires de justice, 30,500 households, or more than 60,000 people, were forced to leave their homes in 2025, a record level.
At the same time, demand for social housing has reached a peak: 2.885 million households were waiting at the end of 2025, according to the Union sociale pour l’habitat.
Emmanuel Taupin-Mayer, a court enforcement officer and member of the national office of the Chambre nationale des commissaires de justice, says the key is to act at the first sign of arrears. He advises tenants in difficulty to contact their landlord or the court enforcement officer handling the case to look for a solution, such as a payment schedule.
He also notes that opening a procedure does not necessarily lead to eviction. Dialogue and social support can help reach an agreement while taking into account the difficulties of landlords facing unpaid rent.
Landlords, however, may not take the law into their own hands: changing locks or removing a tenant without following the legal procedure is prohibited.
From November 1 through March 31, the winter truce in principle suspends physical rental evictions, but it does not erase debts or halt court proceedings. “The winter truce is not a rent truce,” Taupin-Mayer reminds.
Tenants must therefore continue paying their rent and charges.
For households facing eviction or arrears, it remains essential to seek help quickly, including from the ADIL, the Fonds de solidarité pour le logement (FSL) or the SOS Loyers impayés service, reachable free of charge at 0 805 160 075.
