France is facing a housing crisis of historic proportions. Plummeting property transactions, collapsing new construction, skyrocketing rents, and a backlog of over 2.4 million households waiting for social housing have made the dream of affordable living almost impossible. br br Homelessness has surged past 330,000 people, while young families and the middle class find themselves locked out of the housing market.br In this video, we dive deep into the structural causes of the crisis: br insufficient land for building, the impact of sharp interest rate hikes since 2022, the explosion of short-term rentals and second homes in tourist-heavy areas, and “Malthusian” planning failures that underestimated population growth. We examine the French government’s “supply shock” response under President Emmanuel Macron, new EU-linked regulations on energy and short-term rentals, and the role of banks, global capital, and speculative investors in financialising French homes.br br But beyond the economics, this crisis is a struggle over meaning: is housing a fundamental right tied to dignity and solidarity, or a tradable asset to be bought, sold, and securitised? And what happens when millions of ordinary French citizens are left behind?br br Watch until the end for the bigger picture: how the French housing crisis connects with the broken ladder in Britain, the collapsing dream in the US, and the global battle over where — and how — humanity lives in the 21st century.