Housing assistance: everything you need to know about the 3 housing assistance

Housing assistance is financial assistance intended to lower the cost of your accommodation, and therefore generally to cover part of your rent. There are three types of housing assistance in France, which may be granted to you depending on the accommodation and your personal situation :

  • Personalized housing assistance (APL), if you are alone or in a couple, with or without dependents, in subsidized accommodation
  • Family housing allowance (ALF), if you are alone or in a couple with a dependent
  • Social Housing Allowance (ALS) if you are not eligible for either of the other two housing benefits

If you move into a student residence, you will generally be eligible for the APL, but if you are not, you will still be able to apply for the ALF or the ALS. However, you will not be able to combine these aids with each other.

Read this article, to quickly understand how housing benefits work :

The conditions for receiving housing assistance

Several criteria must be met to be able to benefit from housing assistance :

  • You are French or foreign with a valid residence permit
  • You must be the holder of your lease (except for non-emancipated minors)
  • You must not be related to the owner of your accommodation (the owner must not be a parent or grandparents of yourself or of your spouse, cohabiting partner or partner)
  • You must have resources below a certain amount (for information, a single person receiving the minimum wage is not entitled to housing assistance)
  • You must pay a housing charge (rent or fee)
  • You must reside in decent accommodation with minimum comfort (at least 9m2, with a level of equipment necessary for daily life)

How will the housing aid be calculated?

The amount of housing assistance will be calculated based on :

  • The composition of the household, that is to say your family situation and the number of dependents
  • The value of the resources and assets of your household, financial or real estate
  • The amount of your rent

The amount of aid can therefore vary greatly from person to person. In addition, the amount will not necessarily be the same depending on the aid. If you are receiving ALS, for example, the amount may be different from the aid to which you were previously entitled.
To get an idea of your eligibility and what the amount of your assistance will represent, you can make an estimate online on the website of the caf.fr

What is the process for obtaining housing assistance?

The process to obtain housing assistance is generally done directly online on the caf website. Different supporting documents may be required depending on the type of housing assistance you are applying for. These documents will generally include :

  • A copy of your identity document or other proof of identity (National Identity Card, passport, extract of birth certificate or copy of residence permit)
  • Your bank, postal or savings identity statement, to be able to make the payment
  • The rental certificate

Documents to prove your level of income and resources may also be required.

If you would like to know more about the APL read the article « APL: All you need to know about Personalized Housing Aid »

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