Social housing project on Place des Vosges sparks controversy

At the heart of Place des VosgesThe cradle of the powerful – from Madame de Sévigné to Victor Hugo, from the Duke of Sully to DSK or Xavier Niel – is the site of a brewing real estate scandal: social housing in the heart of the chic Marais district. Fifty years ago, diverse fortunes still coexisted here, before prices per square meter skyrocketed to obscene levels. Today, these social housing units are at the center of Parisian power struggles: social mix or museumification?

At number 8 The Hôtel de Fourcy, built in 1608 by the city for educational purposes, stands proudly on the site, though it has been deserted ever since. The Théophile Gautier vocational high school once occupied premises there, as did the Victor Hugo Museum. Jacques Baudrier, the Communist Party deputy mayor in charge of housing, envisions 17 social housing units of varying sizes: "We'll have garbage collectors, nurses, and childcare workers. No five-star hotel or billionaire's residence." The project will cost €7,6 million (including a €2,3 million municipal subsidy) to renovate the facades, improve insulation, and upgrade the district heating system. The landlord is CDC Habitat. The first tenants are expected in 2029.

The opposition reacted strongly to the proposed transformation of this building, where Théophile Gautier lived between 1828 and 1834 and where the price per square meter reaches €35,000. Aurélien Véron (Changer Paris) thundered: "A showcase project, a PR stunt that burns millions instead of renovating the dilapidated social housing stock! Just 50 meters away, there are twice as many apartments for the same price." Élisabeth Stibbe (LR) denounced: "Dilapidated facades, unsanitary conditions elsewhere, and this here, surrounded by art galleries and gourmet restaurants? Out of touch!" Catherine Ibled (Pour Paris) added: "300,000 on the waiting list, a choice with far-reaching consequences. A cultural project is more appropriate."

Jacques Baudrier, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of housing and the ecological transition of buildings, counters: selling would create more vacant apartments – nearly 50% are vacant in the neighborhood, compared to a third in the private sector citywide. Jean-Philippe Gillet (Communist Party) stands by his position: "Righting an injustice: the city center isn't reserved for the wealthy." Ariel Weil, mayor of Paris Centre (Socialist Party), cites the brand-new social housing on Rue Pavée: 30 units in a historic building, as well as at the Minimes barracks (70 units five years ago).

However, some tenants of the social housing complexes located in Village Saint-Paul or the Caserne des Minimes, for example, offer a more nuanced perspective: "It's true the setting is beautiful, but it's noisy." In Village Saint-Paul, the light from the courtyard streetlights was a problem: tenants complained that the lighting was too bright. As for social diversity, some doubt its benefits: "I'm not sure there are any real advantages."

The City has invested nearly a billion euros in social housing acquisitions (2023-2024). The right wing is crying foul over the debt (9 billion euros). Laurent Sorel (Décidons Paris 20 list) quips: "For you, empty apartments are better than working-class people in the Place des Vosges." This project? A laboratory for the Paris of Anne Hidalgo and her allies: against gentrification, for a vibrant city center.

As a reminder, Paris has approximately 272,000 social housing units, representing 25,5% of primary residences in 2023. They are massively concentrated in the outer districts: the 19th in the lead with 44,5% (37,555 units), followed by the 13th (43%, 38,616) and the 20th (40,6%, 38,518).

In the city center, rates are plummeting: 7th at 2,3% (652 units), 6th at 4,4% (949), 2nd at 6,4% (845). In the Marais district, the 3rd arrondissement has a rate of 8,8%, while the 4th boasts 15% (2,451 units), the 11th 14,9% (12,707), and the 12th reaches a peak of 26,7% (19,559).*

This disparity reflects an unequal mix policy: +126,000 social housing units financed since 2001, but 277,000 applicants on the waiting list, with a high vacancy rate in the upscale city centre.