In considering the question of housing in France in the late 1980s, account needs to be taken of the dramatic changes that have affected the Franch society and the French economy over at least two decades. When dealing with new housing, the utilisation of statistical data alone is no longer adequate. The development of theory depends on the use of a greater number of sources, not least due to their variable degree of reliability, behaviour and strategies in relation to property management, is always undertaken by direct investigation. This reveals a major change in attitudes lin ked to the renewal of structures of urban property ownership. On the basis of an overall appraisal of the processes of deterioration and improvment of the housing s...