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Published on: 02/10/2026 - 18:01

Faced with intensifying heatwave episodes, we are not all equal when it comes to extreme heat. This episode tackles head-on the “kettle housing” crisis and summer energy poverty which are hitting working-class neighborhoods hard in France.

Between 72-hour power outages in Chanteloup-les-Vignes (in Yvelines) and interiors approaching 40°C, extraordinary summers bring crisis into daily life. Residents, local elected officials, architects and advocacy officers for the Housing Foundation dissect the impact of these extreme episodes in working-class neighborhoods.

Faced with the lack of anticipation in public policies and the vulnerability of residents forced to live on concrete, the urgency of adapting buildings is absolute. As Maider Olivier, advocacy officer at the Foundation for Housing the Disadvantaged, recalls:

“Adaptation to climate change is a question of housing policy.”

Eco-construction and climate justice: what solutions?

To fight against this climate injustice, rethinking urban renovation and our ways of living has become essential. Architect Emmanuelle Patte underlines the importance of favoring eco-construction and the use of traditional bio-sourced materials, such as wood, raw earth or straw, to guarantee true natural summer comfort and definitively move away from all-concrete. The issue is not only architectural, it is profoundly social, affecting precarious populations on the front line, from the mainland to the often forgotten overseas territories. Ilies Skalli, project manager for the Ghett'up association, perfectly sums up this growing social and environmental divide:

“It’s the people who contribute the least to global warming who suffer the most.”

Discover how citizen action, the fight for the right to housing and new bioclimatic architectural approaches can transform our cities. Listen to this episode in full to understand the real challenges of tomorrow, and don’t hesitate to subscribe to Pas 2 Quartier!

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