In order to guarantee housing access to all, an aid system has been put in place by the French government. Depending on the type of housing, your income, and the makeup of your household, you may be eligible for financial aid designed to lower the price of your rent.
Financial aid for housing from the CAF
Housing aid is managed by the Family Allowance Offices “Caisse d’Allocations Familiales” (CAF). You must send your rent subsidy application to the CAF. They will then determine if you are eligible and calculate your aid allowance. There are multiple types of housing aid. These aids may not be held concurrently: you can only be attributed one form of housing aid. Based on your application, the CAF will determine what aid is available to you.
How to estimate the amount for the financial aid from the CAF
As there are many criteria that are considered, it is impossible to give an estimate of the aid available to you here. However, you have the possibility of simulating your application for Personalized Housing Aid (APL) to estimate the amount of aid for which you are eligible thanks to the CAF’s calculation module.
How to make your request for financial aid from the CAF
We recommend that you apply for housing aid as soon as you arrive in your new accommodation as the aid is not retroactive. The start date of the aid granted will be the date of the filing of your application (even if the file is processed later by the CAF). The aid may be paid either directly to you or to your landlord. As a result, your rent will be lowered.
How to be helped to file your request for financial aid from the CAF
Online guidelines and tutorials are available on the CAF web site to help you file your application.
The CAF also has a network of “Caf Digital Points” (« Points numériques Caf ») and “Caf Relay Points” (« Points relais Caf » ) to support you in your online efforts. The CAF are also partners of « Maisons de services au public » and « France Services » structures that offer access to computer equipment and help to carry out your administrative procedures online. Find the coordinates of all these places on the page of your local CAF here
You can also ask your acc&ss centre pouvez aussi solliciter votre centre acc&ss , or at the beginning of the school year be helped by a CAF officer who are there for you at the local Welcome desks in some universities or at the Welcome Desk Paris.
Financial aid from the CAF for the students during the summer holidays
For students with benefits from the CAF: financial aid for accommodation is automatically suspended during the summer holidays for all students, unless you inform CAF that you keep your accommodation beyond this date. Your CAF will ask you at the end of the academic year – via your personal Caf online account – if you will keep your accommodation in July and August. If you leave your accommodation or if there is no answer, your right will be interrupted from the end of June.
