For more than a year, Blanche, 20, has lived in a large Parisian apartment in the 17th arrondissement and only spends 300 euros every month. A good plan that she found in barely a week. For her, there are only advantages. Testimony.
Finding decent, affordable accommodation as a student, especially in a big city, can seem impossible. And yet, Blanche, 20 years old, managed to find a good plan that is still unknown to some people. Arriving in Paris for her higher studies, the young woman from the south of France quickly became disenchanted when she saw the rental prices in the capital. After numerous unsuccessful searches, continuing his studies in the capital gradually became inconceivable. Until the day when Blanche’s mother consulted an article on the website of the Diocese of Paris by chance. The two women discover that there is an economical solution for housing young people under 30 for their studies.
This concept is that of intergenerational and supportive housing which has grown significantly in recent years in France. A senior offers to accommodate a student in his apartment or house, in exchange for a few small services and/or a symbolic rent. Today, the demand is such among students that certain associations such as Ensemble2Générations (E2G), one of the major players in this market, register an average of nine requests for a place with a senior, and this in Paris alone. and in Ile-de-France.
For a year, Blanche, 20, has been living with Chantal, in one of the rooms of her very opulent Parisian apartment in the 17th arrondissement, for an unbeatable rent: “300 euros with water, electricity, heating and Internet included”, she tells us. The young woman immediately liked the offer of intergenerational housing. The idea of“I liked having a person who we have to watch over and who can also watch over me, we Blanche who quickly took the steps by completing a form, with the formula “convivial housing from 200 euros per month”, before doing an interview. “I answered questions to find out who I was and if I could get along with an available senior. Everything then happened very quickly, within a week, I had found it!” she remembers.
For her part, Chantal, 85 years old, embarked on this adventure a little over eight years ago with her husband, after having heard good things about the E2G association from their friends. At that time, Chantal’s husband, a former diplomat, suffered from Parkinson’s disease. For the couple, having a student come to their home is a good compromise to have daily help, by offering in return a low rent (the cost is around 30% cheaper than the market). When her husband died, Chantal decided to continue to supplement her income.
On a daily basis, Blanche and Chantal each maintain their freedom: they share the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom and little by little, they discovered many things in common. “Blanche is very delicate and serious. Like me, she loves cinema and literature. We often have long discussions. For the anecdote, every Sunday evening, we even decided between us that one of us prepare the dinner, which we then eat together. His presence reassures me. describes Chantal.
For Blanche too, there is only positive. “I have complete freedom, I come home at whatever time I want. I am lucky enough to be able to sometimes invite friends, which is not normally the case. Ultimately, I no longer have the impression of ‘being in a shared apartment than being with someone who is watching me’, she indicates. Both women are unanimous, in addition to the financial advantage, intergenerational shared accommodation is a very enriching human experience.