PARIS — As Paris gears up for the Olympic Games, students from local universities have raised concerns about the poor living conditions in their residences, which have been requisitioned to accommodate police officers for the event. These complaints were spotlighted following the social media outcry from police unions about the state of these lodgings.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the residences, managed by the Crous (the public body overseeing student housing), have long suffered from issues like mold, cockroaches, and inadequate maintenance. This became widely known when two police unions posted videos on July 13 depicting the unsanitary conditions of these accommodations in northern Paris. The Crous responded promptly by sending cleaning crews and pest control, and offered to rehouse the police officers. This reaction has not sat well with former and current residents, who see it as a double standard. Mandresy Randrianarivony, a student who lived in the residence for six years, expressed frustration that such swift action was taken only when police officers were affected, highlighting a systemic neglect of students’ complaints.

Randrianarivony shared his own experiences of unresolved maintenance issues and substandard living conditions, including having to do dishes in his bathroom due to unaddressed plumbing problems and enduring cold winters without adequate heating. Despite repeated complaints to the residence management, students’ concerns have seemingly been ignored. “For each problem observed and reported, residence staff systematically intervene,” the Crous de Paris claimed to AFP, stating there were no reports from other requisitioned residences.

Activists and students argue that these problems are not new and have been a point of contention for years. Niel, a student activist, noted that student unions have repeatedly warned about the deteriorating conditions, yet their pleas for substantial renovations and investments in student housing have been overlooked. The current renovations, they argue, are superficial and do not address the underlying issues.

As the city prepares for the Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11, approximately 3,000 students in the Île-de-France region have been displaced from 12 requisitioned Crous residences to make room for law enforcement, firefighters, and medical staff. This situation has brought to light the urgent need for a significant overhaul of student housing infrastructure in France.