Intergenerational housing in Jouy-en-Josas, France

Housing difficulties affect people of all ages

In the Greater Paris Region, people of all ages experience housing difficulties or total isolation: students, young mothers fresh out of maternal centers, young couples with few resources, as well as isolated seniors. To address this issue, Habitat & Humanisme Ile-de-France and its partners have built a distinctive social housing block in Jouy-en-Josas: an intergenerational home.

Intergenerational housing: an innovative solution

Boardinghouse residents in temporary or permanent accommodations and apartment-share tenants from every generation, all live under one roof. The home is thus a combination of several different social housing arrangements:

• A boardinghouse with 26 rooms, intended for isolated individuals experiencing a variety of social, economic, and health-related difficulties.

• Twenty-two family housing units, intended for students, young people entering the job market, struggling families, as well as seniors and disabled persons.

Habitat & Humanisme provides assistance to residents (with the help of volunteers) and seeks to encourage solidarity and interaction between neighbors by creating common areas and spaces where people can learn or join in an activity (e.g. living rooms, kitchens, and gardens).

How is the Air Liquide Foundation involved?

The Air Liquide Foundation is financing the development of four studios in the intergenerational home.