Make a DAHO or DALO request

In short

More than 18 years

Last update : 10 nov. 2022

What is it?

DAHO and DALO requests are administrative steps required to demand accommodation (DAHO) or housing (DALO) when your first applications failed. It is a legal recourse, a procedure aimed at having a second chance to get a positive answer.

DAHO, or "Droit d'Accès à l'Hébergement Opposable" means "enforceable right to accomodation". The DAHO stands for "Droit d'accès à l'hébergement opposable". It allows people to be considered as having priority in their request for accommodation.

You are concerned by this procedure if you are in one of the following situations:

The allocation of your application for social housing is unusually long (the time may vary depending on the department. For example: a wait of more than 6 years for Paris is considered abnormal, while it is 2 years for Strasbourg ),
You sleep in the street: Homeless ("SDF": "sans domicile fixe", no permanent place to live in)
You are staying with an undeclared inhabitant,
You are accommodated in a social hotel,
You have been accommodated in a social structure (CADA, HUDA, CPH, CHRS, CHU…) for more than 6 months.
You have been in substandard housing for more than 10 years,
You live in a space where there are a lot of people, an overcrowded room (example: 5 people in a 25m2).

This right is different from DALO, "Droit d'Accès au Logement Opposable", which has to do with housing applications from people who meet certain conditions (particularly in terms of resources).

Good to know: People accommodated for more than 6 months in a social structure are considered in an “emergency situation” and can apply for a DALO.

Who is it for?

Location

France entière

Age required

More than 18 years

Location

France entière

Age required

More than 18 years

What to do?

Check if my situation allows for a DAHO or DALO request

Here are the conditions for applying for a DAHO accommodation:

You have already applied for accommodation (young workers' hostel, migrant workers' hostel, maternal centre, etc.) but you have not received an offer suited to your situation
You sleep on the street, you are homeless
You call 115 (emergency shelter)
You are staying with an undeclared resident
You are accommodated in a social hotel

Here are the conditions for applying for a DALO accommodation:

You have already made one or more requests for social housing but you have not received a proposal adapted to your situation or no response within an "abnormally long" period (several years of waiting)
> See the list of abnormally long delays in Île-de-France .
> For other regions, see the last pages of this Cerfa form.
You do not have accommodation in your name (you live with a friend or in a shelter)
You cannot find habitable accommodation yourself (large enough, with water and electricity, without risk to health) and adapted to your situation (disability, children)
You have a valid residence permit
You have sufficient resources (salary, allowances, alimony, etc.) to pay moderate rent

Good to know: To make a DAHO or DALO request, do not hesitate to ask for help from a social worker or an association.

Fill out and send the application form

To prepare a DAHO accommodation request file:

Complete the Cerfa form n°15037*01

Before you begin, we advise you to read this document to help you.

Add all the documents requested in the form (sentences starting with "Join...").

To prepare a DALO housing application file:

Complete the Cerfa form n°15036*01

Before you begin, we advise you to read this document to help you.

Add all the documents requested in the form (sentences starting with "Join...").

Wait for the answer

You must then send your file with all the documents by post to the Mediation Commission in your region . This Commission is a special office that will decide whether or not you have priority in order to have an accommodation or housing proposal.

Good to know: It is advisable to:
- make a copy of the form before sending it, to keep a proof.
- send your file in a large envelope by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt.

You also have the option of submitting the form and supporting documents directly to the office of the secretariat of the Mediation Commission in your region.

You are in Île-de-France: Here are the addresses according to the department (at the bottom of the page, section "Where to file your DALO file", same addresses for DAHO).
You are in another region: ask or consult the website of your prefecture.

Good to know: Please note: you can submit a DAHO or DALO file to only one Mediation Commission.

Wait for an answer

The Mediation Commission must inform you of its decision within 6 weeks to 3 months, depending on the region.

Good to know: Remember to check your mail during this period: you will receive the acknowledgment of receipt from the Post Office, the acknowledgment of receipt from the Mediation Commission with a file number, a letter to request additional information if the file is not not complete and a letter with the decision of the Mediation Commission.

And after?

You receive a positive decision from the commission

You are recognized as a priority: accommodation adapted to your criteria must be offered to you within 6 weeks to 3 months following your positive decision. If you reject the proposal, you will no longer be considered a priority.

If the wait for a place in accommodation is unusually long, you can appeal for non-compliance with the decision of the administrative court. A start date to the appeal is given in the decision.

Please note: It is also possible to appeal to the administrative court against the prefect's proposal.

You receive a negative decision from the commission

You are not recognized as a priority : you will not have access to emergency accommodation. The commission must notify you of the reasons for its refusal to explain why it refused you.

Please note : It is necessary to check if on the decision it is indicated “priority to be accommodated” and not “hosted”. It happens that during a DALO request, the committee offers a place in accommodation rather than a home. In this case, an appeal must be made as soon as possible. Do not hesitate to get help from an association, a social worker, or a public writer.

Request an appeal

You can make a "gracious appeal" . To contest the refusal of your request, send a signed letter with the maximum of supporting documents of your situation.
You can make a "contentious appeal" to the administrative court (for example to appeal against the prefect's proposal). For this, you can get help from a social worker or from an approved association. Do not hesitate to contact your prefecture to find out the list of approved associations in your department.

Good to know : To present this recourse, it is not obligatory to hire a lawyer.

The administrative court has 2 months to rule. The judge can oblige the ministry in charge of housing to house you if he finds that you have been designated as having priority and that you have not yet obtained housing adapted to your needs.

Have you found useful information?

Thank people who wrote them for you

387 🙏

Contributors engaged

¹²Keep the page up to date and answer your questions

houssam kokach