How does collaborative housing address the issue of social inclusion? A French perspective
Résumé
Collaborative housing in France has reached a turning point. Following the pioneering initiatives of the self-organized groups, more and more original partnerships have recently been developed with local authorities and housing associations to promote more affordable projects, especially within the framework of social housing. But how do these projects deal with the issue of social inclusion? Does economic affordability necessarily imply social diversity and/or social inclusion of all the residents? What are the potential impacts of collaborative housing for disadvantaged groups? To answer these questions, the article is based mainly on a study carried out in 2016 in France, which explored the capacity of collaborative housing to be socially inclusive. The authors analyse different types of projects to discuss the challenge of social inclusion and the way it redefines collaborative housing, contributing at the same time to a better conceptual understanding of this phenomenon.