The Champagne of Housing Rights

France's Enforceable Right to Housing and Lessons for U.S. Advocates

By Eric S. Tars, Julia Lum & E. Kieran Paul

4 Ne. U. L.J. 429 (2012)

This article seeks to draw parallels between U.S. and French housing law and to illuminate the areas of French housing law that U.S. housing advocates may find informative.  Part I provides a brief introduction to the structure of French government and the underpinnings of French housing law. Part II examines the movement that led to the creation of a judicially enforceable right to housing in France and attempts to highlight the key features that made the movement such a success. Part III explores DALO's procedures for protecting the right to housing. Part IV examines the successes and struggles related to DALO's implementation. Finally, Part V compares U.S. housing law with French housing law and recommends potential strategies for housing rights advocates in the United States.

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