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99.
Moreover in answer to questions raised at the public hearing the
Government, which has not directly responded in its written submissions to
ATD Fourth World's arguments concerning housing for the most
disadvantaged, stated that the apparent trend towards the construction of
more expensive social housing could be explained by the fact that they were
responding to a broad range of demand. The provision of such housing was
concerned not only with the most disadvantaged but also with a wide
spectrum of the population in need of decent housing on account of short-term
financial difficulties or local housing crises.
100. The Committee considers that the implementation of this policy does not
by itself constitute a sufficient step or a sufficient justification for the ongoing
manifest inadequacy of the existing policy mechanisms for ensuring due
priority for the provision of of social housing for the most socially deprived.
The situation therefore constitutes a violation of Article 31§3.
ii. On the alleged violation stemming from the arrangements for
allocating social housing to the most deprived members of the
community and of the inadequate appeal procedures in the event of an
excessive waiting time for housing
A. Arguments of the parties
a) ATD Fourth World
101. ATD Fourth World contends that arrangements for allocating social
housing to the most deprived members of the community constitute a violation
of Article 31 on the following grounds:
-
There is incompatibility between different eligibility criteria for
social housing
102. Two-thirds of the French population meet the criteria for entitlement to
social housing. The objectives of achieving a social mix and of providing for
priority groups often clash in a way that conflicts with the spirit of the law.
Applications for social housing are increasingly being turned down on the
grounds that a social balance must be maintained in particular
neighbourhoods.
-
The départements’ housing action plans for disadvantaged
persons (PDALPDs) do not work properly.
103. The plans’ impact on the supply of social housing is limited to setting
objectives for specific programmes. They are impotent when faced with
inadequate financing, a shortage of social housing and local hostility to such
housing.
104. Some départements make little effort to establish priorities in this area.
For example, successive official appraisals of the Bas-Rhin (Strasbourg area)
housing action plan have drawn attention to inadequate information on needs,
unawareness of the inter-related problems of substandard, inappropriate and
indecent housing in the département and the need for more information on
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