Social housing crisis in French overseas territories

La Réunion and other French overseas departments are experiencing a significant social housing crisis driven by high demand and funding shortages. In La Réunion, there are currently 8.1 applications for every one social housing allocation, with the island accounting for over 51,000 applications within France's overseas territories.

Local tensions have escalated following the French government’s announcement of a freeze on Personal Housing Assistance (APL) for 2027 as part of a 54-billion-euro savings effort. Local leaders and advocacy groups have denounced this decision, noting that approximately 30% of the population relies on these benefits.

Social housing providers are now calling for the immediate release of at least 60 million euros in additional credits to address budget gaps in the overseas territories. Beyond construction and rehabilitation needs, there is an urgent demand for climate adaptation funding. The Union sociale pour l'habitat (USH) estimates that 8.6 billion euros are required to protect social housing against extreme heatwaves, noting that many units currently lack basic cooling features like shutters or air circulation fans.