Following World War II, France began a major low-cost housing construction program, much like most other European countries. The country’s approach shifted from fast construction of low-quality units in the 1950s and 1960s to a more humane approach since the late 1970s. Following the criticisms of the recent past that the French government was doing little more than creating ghettos for the poor, the country’s housing policy has become somewhat of a model in terms of the architectural quality of the units and the concern for the environment in which their residents would live. An analysis of the changes in the French public housing policy is provided, emphasizing changes implemented in the 1970s and early 1980s.
