Contradictory Narratives on French Social Housing: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Social housing in France now occupies a central position in political discourse and in public opinion. Accommodating some 17% of households and being an economic driver, its political weight is understandable. But the frailty of the current consensus, based on new production as a solution for solving the "housing crisis," can be approached by analyzing the ruptures which have occurred since the "glorious times"-in terms of both narratives and actions. Using the image of a "new deal" between markets, state, and society and the concept of " general interest" as a framework, the paper first discusses the way the post-liberal shift impacts and challenges housing policies and the place of social housing. The historically constructed narrative of the sector is then presented from its origins up to the shift of the 1970s. Finally, it is argued that the turmoil of the last four decades indicates a shift toward a new repartition between the main stakeholders and a different role for the State-that leaves unsolved not only the housing question, but also the social one.