History of the fights for housing (France)

In France, the fights of housing initially developed in the post-war period because of the consecutive shortage with the destruction, the deficiency of construction of the former years and the rapid increase in the urban population. The park of residences also suffers from its outdatedness and its management from the absence from investment on behalf of the owners. The Housing shortage worsens thereafter, being one of the main causes leading of the people to the street.

The housing shortage in the immediate future post-war period

An important part of the population is then forced to divide between two generations of the residences (sometimes unhealthy, sometimes placed at the disposal by the employers, etc), of furnished or the shantytowns. It is necessary to wait several years to obtain a housing in HLM.

The State does not intervene then directly in the construction of housing: the ministry for Town planning and Rebuilding (MRU) and the foreground of 1947-1953 worked out by the team of Jean Monnet hold the investments with the repair and the development of the equipment of production. The government action is limited to emergency lodging and the outline of a first regulation of the real estate market (Loi of 1948).

The State can also requisition vacant housings announced to its services, but vis-a-vis the administrative obstacles which slow down the implementation of this law, appears a first movement militant, the movement squattor which proceeds to the “anarchistic” occupation - i.e. already illegal - empty residences.

Resulting from the Popular movement of the families, itself near to the Christian working Youth (J.O.C.), the movement Squatteur is born in Marseilles before gaining other provincial towns. In five years, some 5.000 families are thus rehoused. These occupations are accompanied by a campaign in the press, in particular catholic ( Esprit ), and of a militant action which sensitizes the public opinion with the question of the housing shortage.

Years 1950-1960 will be also those of the Castors, a co-operative movement of Autoconstruction, which tries to mitigate the insufficiency of construction: the Castors , as their name indicates it, build - with several - their houses.

The Hiver of 1954 is shown particularly rigorous: the Marne freezes in February and one counts deaths of cold in their sleep. The Abbot Pierre lance his call to a “insurrection of kindness” and the movement Move, charity association which will institutionalize itself thereafter until managing its own consecutive housing stock with gifts. The success of this operation encourages the construction of social housing engaged by the government. It will result from it from great units of which sociologists and town planners worry already, but who represent compared to housing conditions of the time (the majority of the French washed itself then with a basin and a pitcher of cool water, with only one weekly warm water bath in a tub or a vat) an increase in comfort accommodated well.

Fights for housing as of years 1970 at the years 1990

In the Years 1970, the fights of housing are radicalized in the tread of the revolutionary movements: the squats multiply then in all Western Europe. From 1975 to 1980, a long strike of the rents also oppose most badly parcelled out, the immigrant workers originating in the Maghreb or Black Africa, with the principal manager of this type of housing official the Sonacotra. These strikes often consist of Autoréduction of the rents, by refusal of the increases envisaged and will be one of the longest conflicts and of hardest of these years but, in spite of the important financial losses undergone by Sonacotra and of the “important disorders to the law and order” which it caused depending on the state which made carry out 18 expulsions (of the territory), it did not give that little causes of it the management of the housing of poorest, by Sonacotra which saw to widen its missions with the extension of the Précarité.

In the years 1980, many squats openly political is related to the libertarian movements and autonomous and clearly posts their will to create hearths of subversion in rupture with capitalism. Starting from 1987, certain States start to expel in a systematic way all the political squats (directive of Trevi).

In France, several associations were created to defend the right to housing: the National confederation of Housing (CNL, near to the PCF), the Committee of the badly-housed persons (1984), the Right DAL with housing, 1990), the Coordination of the homeless people (1993 - 1995), the Committee actions housing (CAL)… Association " Paris solidarity métro" introduce its president Daniel Hentzé to the candidature for the presidency of the Republic in order to represent them without shelters. " Paris solidarity métro" is an association creates in 1990 by homeless people.

Some of these associations (Move, CNL, DAL) are hostile with the squats and prefer to negotiate rehousings with the authorities. On the other hand, the Committee of the Badly-housed persons and the Coordination of the homeless people (of anarchistic tendency ) were distinguished by occupying several Parisian buildings. In the month of December 93, the Coordination of the homeless people thus occupies a building of the avenue of Breteuil, in the 7 {{E}} district of Paris. Expelled during the summer, the squatters settle then with 9 rue Saint-Sauveur (2 {{E}} district). The Coordination of the homeless people will disappear with the beginning of the year 1996. The inhabitants of the street Saint-Saver will be expelled a few months later. None of them left of trace.

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