The heating of buildings and the mental health of their inhabitants: Three buildings in Paris

Abstract

Parisian buildings are concerned by work programmes undertaken within the framework of the Climate Plan initiated by the city. This renewal process affects the social life of the buildings, which has been consolidated over the years. While a building is built by materials and populations, it is also the result of history, from its construction to its daily maintenance or degradation. Our assumption is that people who have no control over their living space are likely to suffer more mental health problems, in most cases without knowing exactly why, due to lack of knowledge about the causes of these problems or lack of health literacy concerning their living space. The inability to adapt to housing makes us wonder: How can residents’ mental health be influenced by their ability to control their living space? To show this, we will study three buildings affected by the tension between factors that generate dissatisfaction. The research-action SAPHIR, (Health, Paris, History, Building, Residential), carried out after the Covid crisis and during a period marked by the energy transition policy, illustrates the stress experienced by the inhabitants faced with the necessity to save energy and have work carried out in their homes.