It has turned into a little political bomb in less than 48 hours. Located at number 8 on Place des Vosges, the Hôtel de Fourcy has found itself at the heart of a heated dispute since this weekend, pitting elected officials from the Paris majority against the municipal right. The issue? This magnificent red-brick private mansion, classified as a historical monument, has been unoccupied since… 2019.
The city hall wants to give it a new life by creating 17 social housing units of various sizes, along with four commercial spaces. The project includes a complete renovation: thermal insulation, structural reinforcement, connection to the heating network, and installation of a heat pump. The total budget represents over 7.6 million euros.
An investment deemed necessary by the Paris executive, who regrets that the 4th arrondissement has only about…
ron 15% of social housing, well below the Parisian average (25%), while being heavily impacted by tourist rentals and vacant homes.
The right criticizes a showcase operation
On the side of the LR opposition, they cry out "the grand luxury at friendly prices", with the municipal right denouncing a "demagogic operation" taking place in the fanciest spot in Paris.
Aurélien Véron, a member of Les Républicains in the Paris Council, accuses the mayor of offering an exceptional property instead of renovating the already degraded social housing. The right-wing elected officials believe that such an investment in the heart of Place des Vosges is more about a political stunt than a real housing policy.
Le Conseil de Paris a voté la transformation du 8 #PlacedesVosges en immeuble #HLM.
— Aurélien Véron (@aurelien_veron) November 13, 2025
Les Parisiens ne trouvent plus à se loger, mais la mairie, elle, offre le grand luxe à prix d’ami.
Et devinez qui paiera les 11 milliards de dettes ? pic.twitter.com/O2S9Mv8ZuU
The first opposition group also talks about poor management and a project that would cost too much for too few homes, in a location that could have another use. In short: a « Hidalgo gadget ».
The left responds and accuses the right of rejecting social housing
On the majority side, we stand firm. For Jacques Baudrier, Deputy for Housing, the choice is strategic: in a district that is « deficient in social housing », where over 30% of homes are empty or secondary, creating social housing at Place des Vosges is a powerful gesture. With a clear message: social diversity should not be limited to the northeast of Paris.
17 logements sociaux vont être créés au 8 place des Vosges (4e)
— Jacques Baudrier (@jacquesbaudrier) November 14, 2025
Dans un arrondissement déficitaire en logements sociaux, ciblé par les meublés touristiques et où plus de 30% des logements sont vides ou des résidences secondaires, la création de logement social est une priorité pic.twitter.com/tuCDDNMgKq
Ian Brossat, a PCF senator and candidate to succeed Anne Hidalgo, points out a « constant » from the right: « They scream when we build social housing in the northeast because there would be too much. They scream when we do it in neighborhoods that have little. The only constant: the hatred of social housing and its residents »
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Still, for the left, the opposition is « minority and the project should go through during the vote at the Paris Council.
But with just four months to go until the municipal elections in 2026 (scheduled for March 15 and 22), social housing is already shaping up to be one of the most hot-button themes of the campaign.