The Conseil d’Etat has cleared up doubts about the legality of the requisition of student housing by the Crous Paris in anticipation of the 2024 Olympics to accommodate event staff, in a decision rendered on Friday.
In late August, the administrative court of Paris suspended the Crous decision to limit the occupancy leases of student housing for the Paris 2024 Games until June 30.
Based on an email sent by Crous to students in May 2023, the Solidaires union initiated legal proceedings against the requisition of 3,000 Crous student housing units to accommodate event personnel during the summer of 2024. In response to an appeal by Crous Paris, the Conseil d’Etat ruled on Friday that there was no need to make a decision.
The highest administrative court considers that the very subject of the dispute, namely the email sent to students, is no longer effective since the university residence admission campaign for the 2023/2024 academic year, which provides for the end of leases on June 30 and a decision by the Crous Paris board of directors on November 6.
This decision guarantees “the renewal of the right of occupation for students residing in one of the residences that will be made available to government personnel participating in the organization and successful holding” of the Olympics and “will grant them various aids to mitigate the consequences of changing housing and university residence,” according to the Conseil d’Etat.
Additionally, the court reminded that Crous is legally entitled to offer leases of less than a year to students and can rent these premises to the state to accommodate mobilized personnel for the Olympics and Paralympic Games.
The Ministry of Higher Education “takes note of the Conseil d’Etat’s decision and recalls that, contrary to persistent disinformation, there was never any question of depriving a single student of housing during the Games,” as it was expressed to AFP.
The attorney for the Solidaires union, Me Marion Ogier, was not immediately reachable. More than 2,000 students benefiting from Crous will need to be relocated. The decision had sparked controversy.
Students whose Crous housing will be requisitioned during the Paris Olympics will receive an indemnity of “100 euros” and “two tickets” to attend “Olympic events.”
