Problem addressed
The climate crisis highlights the urgent need to scale up the renovation of energy-inefficient homes. Yet many owner-occupier households continue to face poor housing conditions and energy poverty.
The construction sector alone accounts for 28 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in France, whilst more than 2.2 million people are energy-excluded and 1.3 million live in homes that expose them to health and social risks. As existing state support does not always meet the needs of the most vulnerable households, Travaux Suspendus was set up to provide a complementary and tailored solution.
Innovative solution
Travaux Suspendus works to make decent, refurbished housing accessible to everyone.
The association runs a community of socially-minded building craftspeople who volunteer on renovation projects for substandard housing. These projects, which are free for households in precarious circumstances, are made possible by fundraising from individuals and businesses.
Furthermore, the creation of a dedicated fund enables better remuneration for the building craftspeople, thereby strengthening the social and solidarity-based nature of the initiative.
Key results and benefits
Since Travaux Suspendus was founded in 2023, more than 50 craftspeople have volunteered for community building projects and more than 100 craftspeople have been involved in collecting donations.
Potential for mainstreaming
Travaux suspendus is a laureate of the 2025–2026 cohort of the P'INS scale-up support programme, jointly run by Fondation Macif and Avise.
