The Minister of Housing wants measures against squatting and delinquent social housing tenants.

Adopted in April, the drug trafficking law provides that a prefect can refer a case to a judge to have any person whose actions related to drug trafficking activities disturb public order expelled from their home.

This law "has allowed a great step forward" and is producing "its first effects," Vincent Jeanbrun said on CNews/Europe 1.

But the minister wants to "undertake work" to "ensure that it applies beyond the simple subject of drug trafficking", citing as an example "someone who regularly steals cars, damages property, makes threats, etc."

"Social housing is about national solidarity, offering a family that wouldn't otherwise be able to afford private housing the option of having their home co-financed. When you deal drugs, when you're a thug, I think you lose the right to this national solidarity," he argued, acknowledging that this means evicting entire families.

Regarding squatting in housing, Vincent Jeanbrun (ex-LR), former mayor of L'Haÿ-les-Roses (Val-de-Marne), believes that there is still "a blind spot", despite the 2023 law of former Housing Minister Guillaume Kasbarian.

"The anti-squat law already provides strong tools when someone enters your home illegally," but "if the person enters the home legally (...) we have to go through the judge, it takes time, the winter truce applies, etc.", he explained, mentioning cases of tenants who had a rental agreement and short-term tourist rentals.

The minister, suspended by his party after joining the government, wants to launch work "with parliamentarians" with a view to a law to correct this "legal loophole" and "protect the owner".

A nightmare for landlords, squatting regularly comes up in public debate, especially this summer with cases of illegal occupation of accommodation rented through tourist platforms.

The phenomenon remains marginal: according to Le Figaro, which consulted a ministerial note from August 2024, 432 requests for expulsions were registered between September 2023 and May 2024, by 27 of the 96 French prefects.

By comparison, 350.000 people were homeless in 2024 according to the Foundation for Housing the Disadvantaged, while INSEE counted 3,1 million vacant homes the previous year.