It’s Saturday, but no sleep in for students struggling with housing. For some, classes have already resumed. For others, it won’t take long. This is the case of Mylène, 23, who begins her work-study training in a week. This weekend in early September, she continues to visit apartments. The girl has been looking for accommodation since mid-July. In total, it sent nearly a hundred application files. At best, she gets rejections. Most of the time, she simply never comes back, a victim, like many students, the increase in rental pricesthe decline in the share of available housing in Paris, and the shortage of Crous housing. 20 minutes accompanied her on her “obstacle course”, for a day.
For a month, she did her research remotely. Originally from Brittany, she “cannot afford to take time off to visit”. For the past two weeks, she has been paying for nights in a youth hostel, sometimes getting accommodation, then spending her days surveying all the districts of Paris to find accommodation that falls within her budget, 700 euros per month. “Basically, I only intended to put 600 euros per month, but I was made to understand that I would not find anything at this price. »
“At this stage, I take what I am given”
“If you take it, I can give you the keys during the day,” the owner assures him at the end of the first visit of the day. The 9 square meter apartment is not ideal, but “at this stage, I take what they give me as long as I have a roof over my head”, resigns the young girl. “I’ll be able to cook pasta while I’m in the shower,” she adds, laughing yellow. A single detail keeps her from sending her rental file to the owner. “He gave me the name of his agency, and I can’t find it on the Internet. ” A scam ? When in doubt, she prefers to retract.
After half an hour of walking, Mylène finally reaches the address of the second apartment that she must visit this Saturday. The meeting point is not difficult to identify, just see the crowd of young people at the bottom of a building. Address, time of visit, floor, digicode, the candidates received by email all the information necessary for the visit. Arriving in front of the studio, located on the 6th floor without a lift, the front door is wide open, like an invitation to enter. Inside, nobody. Surprise. The owner is not present to show the premises.
The candidates are still marching. Taken aback, they visit the accommodation alone and leave. Impossible to ask the usual questions about the layout or the price of electricity. And no answer in the description of the accommodation. The cost of charges? “I don’t have the slightest idea,” assures Mylène, when leaving the premises.
“These last few days, I live only for this”
In the calm of the street, a shrill noise resounded. Notification of alerts indicating the posting of new advertisements concerning accommodation. Her nose glued to her phone all day, the young girl goes through all the ads she finds. Advertisements from private individuals, real estate agencies, roommates, she does not skimp on any solution. His screen time averages 13 hours – to which must be added his 8 hours of sleep. “It’s almost a 24-hour job,” she says. These last days, I live only for that. Like many other students.
Arriving early for her third visit, Mylène sympathizes with other young people who find themselves in the same situation. All joke about their respective galleys. “My application was still refused for an apartment that had water infiltration on the ceiling,” says the young girl.
Finally, the group tour begins. After having shown, once again, six floors without an elevator, by 32 degrees, all the candidates join the studio with heavy breathing. “Well, we’re all finally going home,” said the real estate agent to the fifteen people he managed to squeeze into 15 square meters. It is, by far, “the best accommodation” that Mylène has visited.
On the advice of a friend, she added a cover letter to her file in which she mentions ” [qu’elle] is ready to add 20 euros to the rent, to have the apartment immediately”. Despite the refusals, Mylène has not said her last word. “I haven’t yet taken my return ticket”, specifies the one who is about to extend her stay in Paris in search of a roof.