Access to housing for young people: Adoma's ambitions

CROSS INTERVIEW : STEFANIE DEMEURE-DIT LATTE, DIRECTOR OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT & STEFANIA PARIGI ACCOMODATION MANAGER

As part of their group project, the students of the Urban Planning Programme addressed the question asked by Adoma on their supported housing offer for young people. The partner of this project, Adoma, answers our questions about their work.  

Can you explain the current problem of housing for young people ?

Young workers and young people in precarious situations, i.e all young people who have to work to finance their studies, trainees in vocational training, precarious workers on part-time contracts, all those for whom housing is a key condition for access to employment, a tool for integration, etc., are today directly affected by the housing crisis: the under 30s represent by far the bulk of residential mobility. Their share of subsidised housing is constantly decreasing : less than 15% of the HLM stock is devoted to them, a proportion that will fall to 10% in 2030, due to the growing weight of senior citizens, whose maintenance at home must be organised. There is therefore a real need to think about the provision of housing and support that is adapted to the difficulties encountered by this group.

Can you tell us about Adoma?

ADOMA is a semi-public company created in 1956 which has become the reference operator for supported housing and accommodation for asylum seekers. It mission is to promote the integration of people in precarious situations by providing them with adapted accommodation and housing solutions, complemented by personalised social support.

Adoma has a portfolio of more than 81,000 dwelling, which has been transformed over the last few years thanks to a very significant investment. Our public is also evolving: it is increasingly young, increasingly female and includes more and more employees. It is these changes, both in the public served and in our assets, that lead ADOMA to innovate and to position ourselves on new issues (digital, health, safety, etc.).

Why did you decide to initiate a reflection on youth housing in 2021?

In a context of strong economic change and pressure on housing, difficulties in accessing employment or vocational training particularly affect young working people, for whom the question of housing is an element of access to autonomy, a factor in securing and stabilising careers and a tool for socialisation. Furthermore, the proportion of small, studio flat accommodation is far below the needs of the areas where the employment pools or training opportunities are concentrated.

In order to respond to these major challenges, Adoma has made it a priority to develop a supply of housing adapted to young working people, particularly in tense areas, thus enabling them to promote their professional integration or their training course. In 2021, Adoma has therefore undertaken a global approach to define its strategy for young people in order to fulfil its missions by offering housing solutions adapted to young people in precarious situations.

How has the work of the students in this group project inspired your organisation?

Entrusting this process to the students of the Urban School made it possible to draw up a complete and rich inventory, to question Adoma’s practices and to put them into perspective, to shake up received ideas and proven practices, to mark out multiform offer adapted to needs…and thus to draw up the outlines of a new development strategy, aimed at young people, in all their diversity. The study carried out has enriched our analysis of needs and provided a fresh and unbiased look on existing practices.

In addition, in a very concrete way, the documents produces, which are of a very high quality, are used by Adoma’s team during their meeting with the partners, to illustrate Adoma’s strategy and ambitions in supporting young people.

Students of the Urban Planning Programme : >Julia Desplats, Mathilde Menjoulou, Théo Näsström Seguin, Gautier Omel.

Tutor : Guillaume Pavageau (Espacité)