France’s social housing system is broken - and native French families are paying the price.
Only 11% of natives live in social housing, compared to 35% of migrants, rising to 49% for Algerians and 57% for Sahel-origin migrants.
What was meant as temporary support has become permanent. Turnover is under 7%, and occupancy is often generational.
Meanwhile, 2.4 million households are stuck on waiting lists, with 93% rejected on their first application.
In Paris, for example, the median wait is 2.5 years, 27% wait over 5 years, and just 1 in 21 applicants actually receives housing. Access is structurally blocked.
Young French families are hit hardest: homeownership among low-income youth has halved since the 1970s, under-30 ownership is below 16%, and many spend nearly 20% of their income on housing.
The result is clear: millions are trapped in expensive private rentals while social housing is effectively inaccessible.
This isn’t about blame - it’s about fixing allocation, boosting supply, and restoring fairness.
Europeans deserve it.