Nearly two-thirds of social housing stock exposed to high heat, according to a study

Extreme heat is the primary risk linked to climate change for social housing, a risk that could affect 79% of housing in 2050 and almost all of it by 2100, according to a study by the National Federation of Public Housing Offices (FOPH) and the Banque des Territoires.

The social housing stock comprises 5,9 million homes in France, 4,8 million of which belong to social landlords.

Of the 2,24 million homes analyzed in the study, 1,44 million were already exposed to extreme heat.

"While the impact of heat on the building itself remains limited, the living conditions of the occupants are significantly degraded," the authors note, "particularly for seniors."

Clay shrinkage and swelling, which mainly affects houses, affects 14% of individual social housing, and potentially 58% by 2100.

Floods, forest fires, storms and coastal retreat are also already affecting "several thousand homes in certain areas", with 163.000 homes already exposed to river flooding and 188.000 to rising water tables.

Less than 1% are exposed to marine submersion and 3% to forest fires (61.000 homes).

"With the increase in droughts and heat, new outbreaks could nevertheless appear in forest areas that are currently unaffected," warns the study, which calls on donors to anticipate their adaptation strategies.

The financial equation is, however, complicated to find for landlords, caught between the objective of building 100.000 new social housing units per year and the imperative of energy renovation of housing to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

However, according to a study by the Banque des Territoires published on September 11, social landlords do not have sufficient investment capacity to meet these two challenges.

Among the recommendations made to landlords, the authors recommend carrying out exposure and vulnerability assessments, relying on tenants to identify the most vulnerable buildings, and implementing crisis management procedures in the event of major climatic events.