Fight against discriminatory practices in acces to housing
Many French people coming from overseas territories are victims of discrimination when they look for accomodation in Metropolitan France. Many lessors refuse to rent a house/a flat when the person who stand guarantor resides in overseas territories. In September 2005, the High Authority against discrimination and for equality (HALDE) recommended the reform of a discriminatory article of the Civil Code which dealt with the conditions of residence of the people who act as guarantors, inviting the Prime Minister to initiate a legislative reform. In January 2006, the French National Assembly amended article 22-1 of the law of social modernisation by making it an offence to refuse to accept as a guarantor one who resides in overseas territories. Despites this legislative modification, many real estate agents or professionals of housing still refuse to rent house to French people coming from overseas territories. The Ministry for housing and for urban policy, Interdepartmental deputy for equal opportunity for French of overseas territories and the High Authority against discrimination and for equality (HALDE) signed the Charter in order to fight against discriminatory practices in access to housing against the French coming from overseas territories on July 3rd 2008. The signatories undertake to :
- put an end to illegal practices regarding French people from overseas territories
- fight against the discrimination they are victim of
- aware real estate agents of the legal devices existing to fight discriminations
- make HALDE's documentation/literature available in each real estate agency
Source: High Authority against discrimination and for equality, http://www.halde.fr/spip.php?page=article&id_article=12316
