- Isolation increases the risk of poor housing, as shown in the Abbé-Pierre Foundation's annual report which comes out on Thursday.
- Especially in tense areas, where solos face a shortage of small dwellings, which are more expensive than others per m2.
- Living alone also makes the process more difficult.
Finding a roof over your head, while house prices are soaring in big cities and apartments are rare on the market: a challenge for many French people. But when you are alone, it can turn into an obstacle course. This is what the Abbé-Pierre Foundation report released on Thursday shows. According to the latter, 22% of people living alone are poorly housed. And they represent 65% of the homeless (people who are homeless, in emergency accommodation, in hotels, etc.).
Single people are also over-represented among those who are evicted from their homes. This fragility in terms of housing affects young people living alone as well as migrants, singles and widowers.
Less financial resources to find a roof
If the path to get the keys to home is so difficult for single people, "first of all because they have fewer resources than other households," said Manuel Domergue , director of studies of the Abbé-Pierre Foundation. In fact, according to INSEE, their annual income amounted to 21,600 euros in 2016, compared to 36,340 euros for all French households. And poverty affects 20% of single people, against 14% of the whole population.
Unlike couples, it is impossible for solos to make economies of scale on heating, electricity, shopping ... As a result, in 2018, they underwent an effort rate of 26% to find accommodation, 8 points higher to the average of all French households, according to Eurostat. And in the event of unforeseen expenditure, their budget is quickly unbalanced. This sometimes leads to an inability to pay the rent.
A housing crisis that can also be explained by demographic reasons
Another explanation for this fragility of the solos vis-à-vis the habitat: “The housing stock was designed around a family with two children, and whose parents have a stable job. But this scheme is no longer suited to the rise of solo households, ”explains Manuel Domergue. In fact, according to INSEE, solos now represent 35% of French households, or even 50% in city centers of large cities.
However, in 2016, 18.6% of dwellings consisted of one or two rooms, i.e. a rate of coverage of the potential demand of one-person households of around 50%. "This would mean having 7 million more homes," says Manuel Domergue. Ditto in the social park, where small dwellings are a rare commodity: "Suddenly, each year only 19% of the allocations of housing in the HLM park are dedicated to single people", observes Manuel Domergue.
The smallest dwellings are also the most expensive per m2
In addition, in the private park, rents for small apartments are higher per m2 than those for large ones. Example in Ile-de-France, where the average rent of a room is on average 40% more expensive than that of a 5 rooms. This phenomenon is amplified by the higher turnover of small dwellings, which allows landlords to adjust the rent more frequently. This phenomenon is all the more penalizing since it is in Ile-de-France that people most often live alone.
In addition, households looking for a T1 or T2 and having incomes below the minimum wage cannot consider homeownership in large cities.
"People who have no family are less stimulated in their efforts"
Social isolation is also likely to worsen situations of poor housing. Because single people are less likely to be identified and referred to social workers. “They are in fact less informed about their rights and use them less. These people also internalize the fact that families have priority in housing requests. And being isolated sometimes leads to distrust of social workers, ”notes Manuel Domergue.
And when you are alone in facing the difficulties of life, it is even harder to fight. “People who have no family are less stimulated in their search for housing. They get discouraged faster, ”says Manuel Domergue.
Political levers to activate
To improve the lot of these solos, however, there are solutions. "Social and housing policies must adapt to this public: more smaller housing must be produced at affordable rents", recommends Manuel Domergue. Some municipalities, such as Rennes, have embarked on this path. Another political lever to activate: the framing of rents which makes it possible to contain those of small areas. It is already in force in Paris and Lille.
"We also need to develop shared flats, family pensions, open boarding rooms at controlled rents to seasonal workers," recommends Manuel Domergue. So many ideas that municipal candidates should seize to try to conquer the solos, a growing part of their potential electorate ...
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- Poverty
- Housing
- Abbe pierre foundation
- Society
- Bad housing