Haubourdin: Elevator Outage Becomes an Ordeal for 42 Families

In Haubourdin, a town in northern France next to Lille, several dozen families have been living through a difficult start to the school year since early August 2026: the elevator outage scheduled in their building has left them with no quick way to reach their homes. The project, launched by the social housing provider Partenord Habitat, is expected to last about six weeks, until mid-September.

A building shut down for six weeks

In this residential building in the Lille metropolitan area, 42 households now have to use the stairs, sometimes all the way up to the tenth floor. For families with young children, elderly residents, or people with reduced mobility, the constraint is immediate and affects daily life. “It's potentially disabling, it adds an extra difficulty to everyday life,” says one resident interviewed by the regional press. The stairwells, usually little used, have become the only way to get between the ground floor and the upper floors.

A project required by prior asbestos removal

For its part, the housing provider insists this is not a case of negligence but a mandatory step in a larger program. Aurélie Naels, head of the co-op management department at Partenord Habitat, explains that it is part of “a comprehensive elevator modernization program decided in 2025 and early 2026.” Before the cabins can be replaced, crews must carry out asbestos removal, a strictly regulated operation subject to prior authorization, which, according to the housing provider, did not allow for shorter timelines or for staggering the work building by building.

This kind of tight schedule is common in social housing in France when asbestos-containing materials are found in technical shafts: the safety of workers and residents then takes priority over the speed of the project, even if it means several weeks of disruption for the residents affected.

Support put in place for the most vulnerable residents

In response to pressure from tenants, Partenord Habitat says it has put several measures in place to limit the impact on the most vulnerable households:

• Identifying elderly, ill, or mobility-impaired tenants living on the upper floors;
• Individualized support offered on a case-by-case basis for the entire duration of the work;
• Regular exchanges with tenant representatives to report difficulties encountered on the ground.

A meeting between the housing provider and angry tenants was also organized in an attempt to ease tensions and clarify the exact schedule of the project, building by building.

An issue that goes beyond this one building in Haubourdin

Beyond this particular case, the episode illustrates a recurring problem for many social housing providers in northern France: elevator renovation in an aging housing stock often requires long service interruptions that are hard for residents on the upper floors to cope with. Tenant associations and local authorities are regularly called on to support these transition periods and serve as a link between housing providers and residents. To find active community organizations near you, our Associations section lists several groups in the region. Questions of mobility, building access, and everyday organization are also covered more broadly in our Everyday Life section. Finally, find more news from the Lille metropolitan area in our News / Current Events section.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many families are affected by the elevator outage in Haubourdin?

According to information provided by the housing provider and reported by the regional press, 42 families living in the building affected must use the stairs for the entire duration of the project.

Why can't the elevators be put back into service more quickly?

The project first requires an asbestos removal operation, strictly regulated by law, before the new cabins can be installed. This technical constraint explains the length of the project, estimated at about six weeks, until mid-September.

What support is being offered to residents during the work?

Partenord Habitat says it has put in place individualized support for the most vulnerable tenants (elderly residents, those with reduced mobility) as well as regular exchanges with tenant representatives to track the progress of the project.

Sources

France 3 Régions Hauts-de-France
Seven Radio
Liberté Hebdo

This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence. Editorial policy