A/HRC/43/43/Add.2 tax on vacant homes to 60 per cent.23 Though regulated, Paris is the largest market globally for online rental platform Airbnb, with approximately 65,000 housing units listed, which potentially erodes the availability of housing for local residents. 24 34. The Special Rapporteur would like to warn that the social housing stock in France could easily become prey to international private equity firms, judging by the interest shown in the SNCF portfolio. This could have a devastating impact on an already overburdened housing system. E. Substandard housing and urban areas of concern 35. According to national law, owners face strict penalties if they rent units that are unfit for habitation and local governments have an obligation to inspect housing to ensure safety and compliance with international human rights law. 25 Nevertheless, there are an estimated 420,000 homes on the private market in France that are considered substandard, failing to meet minimum criteria for habitability. In Marseilles, approximately 40,000 housing units are estimated to be substandard.26 36. In 2018, two buildings collapsed in the Noailles neighbourhood of Marseilles, resulting in eight deaths and displacing over 100 residents. This incident triggered the emergency evacuation of 2,400 residents from over 300 buildings. Five months later, most of them were still living in hotels. Of particular concern is the fact that local authorities had disregarded calls from the residents, who for years had tried to alert the authorities to the risks posed by the dilapidated state of their homes. Affected residents told the Special Rapporteur that they were being asked to return to their homes and pay rent despite ongoing concerns relating to health and safety. 37. The Special Rapporteur applauds the Government for implementing urban renewal programmes to improve living conditions and access to transport, work and education in impoverished urban areas. Since 2014, these areas have been known as urban policy priority areas, where 42.2 per cent of residents live below the poverty line, compared to just 14.3 per cent of the general population. Seventy-four per cent of residents of urban policy priority areas live in social housing, compared to just 16 per cent elsewhere in France. Homes in urban policy priority areas suffer higher rates of defects, such as faulty wiring or crumbling exteriors, than those in other urban areas. Twenty-two per cent of households in urban policy priority areas face overcrowding.27 38. During her visit, the Special Rapporteur met with residents of Clichy-sous-Bois, a suburb of Paris, who told her of their deplorable housing conditions and their isolation from the rest of Paris. When visiting several housing blocks, the Special Rapporteur was able to see the appalling conditions for herself. Residing 10 kilometres from the centre of Paris, residents lacked direct transport to the city, but expressed hope that a new tramway would improve their situation. This isolation causes long commutes, creating additional hardship in accessing employment and education. They also noted that at times in the evening, city buses strayed from their routes and refused to enter Clichy-sous-Bois, forcing people to walk to their destinations, including persons with disabilities, women and older persons. Residents also stated that they faced discrimination based on their address when looking for employment. F. Informal settlements 39. Informal settlements in France are generally inhabited by the poorest, most marginalized groups who lack access to housing, including Roma from Eastern Europe (who 23 24 25 26 27 8 Better Dwelling, “Vacant homes are a global epidemic, and Paris is fighting it with a 60% tax”. 2 March 2017. Short Term Rentalz, “Paris family exodus attributed to Airbnb”, 10 July 2019. See Building and Housing Code, arts. L521-1–L521-3-4. See www.hclpd.gouv.fr/parution-du-rapport-marseille-de-la-crise-du-a183.html. Information provided to the Special Rapporteur by the National Urban Policy Observatory.