The right to housing, or DALO, is a legal remedy established by the law of March 5, 2007. It allows a person residing in France legally, who is unable to access decent and independent housing through their own means, to have their situation recognized as a priority for the allocation of social housing.
This remedy does not guarantee immediate housing. Availability depends on the local social housing stock, and waiting times vary significantly by department.
DALO waiting time and allocation rate: what recent data shows
Administrative reports describe the procedure, but rarely its actual effectiveness. The most recent figures reveal a paradox. In 2024, 23,682 relocations were carried out under DALO following a prefectural offer, representing an increase of 8.2% compared to 2023.
This increase occurs in a context of widespread social housing shortage. The processing of priority files has been slightly intensified despite market pressure.
The downside of this statistic deserves attention. The allocation rate of housing to DALO households is declining: 23.1% in 2025 compared to 29.2% in 2019. In practical terms, being recognized as a priority by the mediation commission results in a housing offer in less than a quarter of cases. Understanding the conditions for accessing DALO housing allows for better anticipation of this reality before submitting a file.
Cumulative conditions to file a DALO appeal
The DALO appeal is not open to everyone seeking housing. Three conditions must be met simultaneously.
- Reside in French territory legally, meaning having French nationality or holding a valid residence permit, without any condition regarding the age of the permit.
- Meet the income conditions for social housing, meaning not exceeding the applicable income ceilings in the relevant department.
- Have completed at least one prior step to access or maintain housing: application for social housing submitted and renewed, reporting to the hygiene service, formal notice to the landlord for necessary repairs.
These three criteria are cumulative. The absence of any one leads to the rejection of the file by the mediation commission.
The seven situations qualifying for the appeal
Beyond the three basic conditions, the applicant must be in at least one of the following situations:
- Being homeless.
- Being threatened with eviction without a relocation solution.
- Being housed in a shelter or temporarily accommodated while waiting for permanent housing.
- Being housed in premises unfit for habitation, unsanitary, or dangerous.
- Being housed in a dwelling that does not meet decent housing standards, with at least one minor child or a disabled person.
- Being housed in overcrowded accommodation, with a minor child or a disabled person.
- Having submitted a social housing application without receiving a suitable offer within an abnormally long time frame, which varies by department.
The last situation is the most frequently invoked. The abnormally long time frame is set by prefectural order in each department and can range from a few months to several years depending on local market pressures.
DALO mediation commission: filing and examination of the file
The DALO appeal is filed with the departmental mediation commission, often referred to as Comed. Each department has one.
The file consists of the dedicated Cerfa form, accompanied by supporting documents proving the applicant’s situation: proof of legal residence, tax notice, social housing application certificate, documents related to current housing (decree of unfitness, bailiff’s report, eviction judgment).
The Comed has three months to make its decision in the case of a housing appeal, and six weeks for a housing appeal (DAHO). It examines the priority and urgency of the request.
Favorable decision or rejection
If the commission recognizes the applicant as a priority, it forwards the file to the prefect. The prefect must then propose suitable housing within six months in Île-de-France and three months in other departments.
In case of rejection, the applicant can contest the decision before the administrative court. This contentious appeal is also available when the prefect has not proposed housing within the allotted time after a favorable decision.
Contentious appeal before the administrative court
The administrative court can order the housing or relocation of the applicant and attach a financial penalty to its decision, payable to the National Fund for Support Towards and In Housing (FNAVDL). This penalty is the responsibility of the state.
The contentious appeal remains a real leverage of pressure, but its effectiveness depends on the prefect’s ability to mobilize available housing. In highly pressured areas, even a court decision does not produce immediate results due to insufficient offers.
The distinction between DALO (housing) and DAHO (opposable housing) is important to note. DAHO concerns individuals requesting emergency shelter or temporary housing, with shorter processing times and different solutions (places in shelters, social hotels, social residences).
The DALO appeal remains a right, not a direct access mechanism to housing. The continuous decline in the allocation rate since 2019 shows that priority recognition is no longer sufficient to compensate for the structural shortage of social housing in the most sought-after departments.
