Abstract
This article argues about the direction of recent French housing policies focusing on the social rental housing sector. In
France, the supply of social rental has been promoted strongly by successive central governments since from 2005 in order
to 1) defend housing right by providing an adequate dwelling to people with great difficulties, and also to 2) realize ‘social
mix’ through assuring housing diversity everywhere in urban districts corresponding to the municipal boundaries. In this
process, the positioning, activities and interrelationships of each stakeholders, especially those of social landlords and local
governments have been transformed. The current French administration requires more efforts to them through the reduction
of housing allowance and strengthening the duties applied to the urban municipalities which don’t have enough social
housing. The recent direction poses questions on the functions of social rental housing as well as the effectiveness of the
measures introduced by the central government to assure housing for people with great difficulties.
