Social housing providers demand urgent funding for overseas territories and climate adaptation

At the 86th HLM Congress in Bordeaux, social housing providers have raised urgent alarms regarding funding shortages and the need for climate adaptation. The Union sociale pour l'habitat (USH) reports that social housing demand in France's overseas departments (DROM) has exceeded 100,000 applications, with La Réunion accounting for over 51,000.

In the overseas territories, organizations are requesting the immediate release of at least 60 million euros in additional credits. They noted a significant gap in the 2026 budget, where only approximately 105.9 million euros were notified out of 236.25 million euros voted. This shortfall impacts both the construction of new units and the rehabilitation of existing housing, which currently includes an estimated 155,000 substandard homes.

Additionally, the USH estimates that 8.6 billion euros are required to equip social housing against extreme heatwaves. Currently, only 56% of social housing units have shutters or blinds, and only 3% are equipped with air circulation fans. Approximately 2.5 million homes have been identified as priorities for these climate adaptation measures to ensure dignified living conditions for tenants.