Living with a senior, the D system of certain young civil servants

“That’s one way of seeing things,” smiles his correspondent, a specialist in intergenerational cohabitation, on the other end of the line.

A few minutes later, Delphine, a retiree who is as endearing as she is grumpy, is convinced to welcome young Agnès into her home, and the play “Adopteunjeune.com” ends in the small municipal hall of Mâcon.

A manager of the Mutuality of Civil Servants (MFP) - a union of 18 civil servants' mutual societies which co-organizes a tour of around twenty performances across France - rushes to collect the forms distributed to spectators before the start of the piece.

Five of them finally agree to be contacted to possibly accommodate young professionals who are struggling to find accommodation.

Faced with the housing difficulties of young civil servants, the MFP relied on theater to promote the intergenerational cohabitation system.

Framed by the Elan law of 2018, the principle is simple: a senior generally aged over 60 agrees to accommodate a young person, most often aged under 30. The latter pays a modest rent and can also commit to spending convivial moments (meals, cultural outings, etc.) with the person who welcomes them.

A win-win system in appearance, but “do I want to relive showers that last an hour, lights that stay on, and friends who come and go at all hours?”, asks Delphine (whose role is played by the author of the play Pierre de Nodrest), wearing a gray wig and wearing a flowered apron.

Cohabitation is governed by “a charter of rights and duties” and an “accommodation agreement”, her correspondent Jeanine tries to reassure her.

Attractive rent

Cohabiting since August 2023 in Quiévrechain (North), near Valenciennes, Urjita Jaisinghani and her host Maryse Haroux are delighted with this experience.

“We share daily moments, we eat together, we clean up the kitchen together at the end of the day,” Urjita, a 24-year-old English teacher, told AFP.

A research technician at the University of Valenciennes, Maryse, in her sixties, adds: "At the beginning, she wanted to look for (housing, Editor's note) in Valenciennes so she said 'one month maximum'" of cohabitation. “Finally, she stays until June!”, rejoices Maryse.

At 230 euros per month including charges (compared to “500 to 550 euros for furnished accommodation” on the local market), the rent is attractive, underlines Valentin Parage, of the Génération et Cultures association, who put Urjita and Maryse in touch.

Hosted by a septuagenarian from Douai during her first year of teaching, Cloé Planckeel from Dunkirk paid even less (50 euros per month) and is also delighted to have met "an incredible person", with whom she even claims to have took “Italian lessons”.

If the Cohabilis network, which brings together 50 associations specializing in intergenerational cohabitation in France, claims the success of the system, it is not enough to house all the young civil servants in difficulty.

A little less than 2.000 "pairs" of young people and seniors are trained each year by the network's member associations, while the public service had in 2021 (latest data available) more than half a million agents under the age of 30 years. And the approximately 2.000 annual pairs include not only young public officials, but also private sector employees at the start of their careers.

In Mâcon, Delphine was seduced. “Agnès, the little one sent to me by the association, she’s not perfect,” grumbles the retiree in front of a room won over by her cowardly humor. “But at the same time she is very kind, very attentive too!”, she tells her daughter Camille on the phone.

Since the start of the “Adopteunjeune.com” tour in March, the MFP has counted a few dozen spectators at each performance. With uneven success: if 10 people agreed to be contacted in Bourg-en-Bresse, only one spectator came forward in Caen and Orléans.