Renovations and heatwave: a Parisian elected official points the finger at second-home owners

According to a study published in 2023 by the journal The Lancet Planetary Health, Paris is the European capital most exposed to excess mortality linked to heat waves.

"For 17 years, we have already financed 80.000 major renovations in social housing," stated Jacques Baudrier at a conference of the "Our Cities at 50°C" collective.

But the communist mayor says he is particularly "worried" about the progress of renovations in the Parisian private housing stock, which comprises approximately 1,1 million homes.

"There are many thermal kettles, because many homes were built before 1914 and this housing stock is not at all adapted to the heat of the 21st century," he noted.

The City funded 10.000 renovations of private housing in 2026 compared to 1.500 in 2024.

"It's exploding but it's still very insufficient and most of these renovations are taking place in co-owned properties from the 1950s to 1970s where there are owner-occupiers (...) for housing with an energy label of D or E and not the worst thermal kettles classified as F and G," the communist mayor indicated, pointing to "insufficient aid in volume" from the National Housing Agency (Anah) and "unsuitable for old housing".

He also called into question the responsibility of certain owners, a problem he described as "less well-known". "Our main problem is not the architects of the French national heritage buildings, but the 28% of owners of second homes and vacant properties who always vote against renovations," he stated.

"Throughout the center of Paris, you have 35%, 40%, 50% of second homes and vacant dwellings. We don't renovate anything, almost no private housing, and that's where the thermal boilers are," he added, asserting that owner-occupiers or minority tenants at condominium general meetings find themselves "trapped by their neighbors."