The rate of applications for social housing satisfied falls below 10%, a first according to Ancols

The rate of social housing allocations has fallen below 10% for the first time, highlights Ancols.

The number of applications for social housing increased by 4,8% to 4,1 million in 2024, while at the same time the number of housing units allocated fell by 2,3% compared to the previous year, to 384.000 allocations.

Among the causes of the drop in allocations are "a drop in the turnover" of social housing tenants, a turnover which represents "80% of the supply", and "a drop in the number of new homes," said Baptiste Prestel, director of statistics and studies at Ancols, during a press conference.

As of January 1, 2025, the "number of requests in stock," and therefore unsatisfied, reached 2,76 million households, an increase of 5,9% over one year.

In detail of the housing allocated, 27% were rented to households already renting in social housing, who represent 30% of requests, and 25% to tenants in private housing.

The decline in social housing allocations has extended the average waiting time by one month, reaching a year and a half. In the most strained areas, such as Paris, parts of the Île-de-France region, the Côte d'Azur, and the border area with Switzerland, the average allocation time has risen to three and a half years.

In these areas, however, the rate of allocation of social housing has remained stable since 2019, while it has fallen elsewhere.

In its study, Ancols looked at access to social housing for households whose enforceable right to housing (Dalo) is recognized, which obliges the State to urgently offer a housing solution.

In 2024, 24.200 social housing units were allocated to Dalo households, "a relatively stable figure since 2021," specifies Ancols, which notes that the number of Dalo households is increasing, which mechanically lowers their continuous allocation rate to 23,5%.

Ancols calculates that, on average, a Dalo-recognized household is 2,6 times more likely to obtain social housing. "In areas with high demand, the Dalo effect is more pronounced," with a household approximately four times more likely to obtain social housing, noted Baptiste Prestel.