The Regional and Inter-Departmental Île-de-France Department of Housing and Accomodation (DRIHL Ile-de-France) have entrusted the Paris Urbanism Agency with the mission of reflecting on and drawing up a Francilian approach to the notion of “Key Workers” and to develop proposals in the area of housing policies.
The housing crisis deters the smooth running of Île-de-France. Rents have risen much faster than salaries, the housing crisis has direct repercussions on the majority of Francilians. The crisis also indirectly effects Francilian businesses which have to deal with difficulty recruiting employees whose salaries make it hard to find somewhere to live near the workplace. When companies provide a fundamental service in the “key” areas (health, education, security, transport, hygiene, etc.) to enable the metropolis to function, it is the territory itself which has become run-down due to the effects of the housing crisis. The British came to the same conclusion and created the notion of “Key Workers”. In 2013 Apur worked on a variation of this idea applied to The Francilian context. The initial step to instigate the work was a one-day workshop held on 28th May 2013 at the Île-de-France Préfécture called “The “Key Workers” French style? A day for debating the subject”. The one-day workshop drew numerous key players who, each in their own specific field, contributed their specialised vision, cross-linking urbanism, employment and housing.
The one-day workshop and the ensuing study report formed a first picture of how the notion of “Key Workers” is considered by the various public and private key players who are concerned with finding ways to tackle the issue and find new political approaches to aid access to housing. This work continued into the first semester of 2014.
