Confédération générale du logement

The Confédération générale du logement (CGL) is a French consumer association accredited at national level in the field of housing. Its accreditation was renewed for five years from 6 August 2020. It was founded in the wake of the appeal launched in 1954 by Abbé Pierre, initially under the name UNASL (Union nationale d'aide aux sans-logis). The CGL sits as a consumer representative on the Conseil national de la transaction et de la gestion immobilière (CNTGI) and on the Commission nationale de la concertation en matière locative. Among the other nationally accredited consumer associations in housing — AFOC, CLCV, Confédération nationale du logement (CNL) and Confédération syndicale des familles (CSF) — the CGL distinguishes itself by three traits: the desire to create a global unionism of housing; the wish to develop a public housing service to ensure access for all to decent housing; and the empowerment of users, called upon to take charge of their own interests. These characteristics can be traced through its successive internal publications: Des Toits et des Hommes, les Feuilles du mois, Action logement and CGL Mag. The CGL focuses solely on housing, applying the proverb "qui trop embrasse, mal étreint" (he who embraces too much holds poorly). It defends the interests of all housing users, from social tenants to homebuyers, and has stated for more than 40 years that it does not choose between tenants and homebuyers, individual owners and occupying co-owners: it defends all categories of users. However, it does not defend landlords, whose specific interests it considers potentially abusive. Since its creation, the CGL has defended a strong public service to protect everyone's right to decent housing. At its Roubaix congress of 1–2 December 1956, when UNASL adopted the name CGL, this point was emphasised. The CGL has openly opposed reducing housing to the status of ordinary market goods open to free speculation, arguing that housing is a means of social liberation and emancipation and constitutes an inviolable and sacred right. The CGL follows in the wake of Abbé Pierre's action and remains a member of Emmaüs France. It aims to restore voice and dignity to all, encouraging users to organise permanently to act for a genuine right to housing for all and for self-management in this field. This also applies to co-ownership: to end abuses by property managers, co-owners must take charge of their co-ownership's operation, creating an association affiliated with the CGL. For small co-ownerships, the CGL helps co-owners dispense with a property manager and manage themselves. It supports cooperative management in co-ownership, where the president of the syndic council acts as property manager, but this requires preparation and organisation among co-owners. The CGL maintains a website at lacgl.fr, publishes a press review, produces videos, and offers technical sheets for tenants, co-owners, homebuyers and housing-related consumption. It also has local branches (antennes), such as CGL38 in Grenoble, which won a victory before the Cour de cassation.

The Confédération générale du logement (CGL) was founded in the wake of the appeal launched by Abbé Pierre on the radio during the winter of 1954. In response, committees to aid the homeless were established. They defended expelled families, supported squatters, backed requisitions, organised reception centres, ran rapid construction programmes, and brought demands to public authorities. The UNASL (Union nationale d'aide aux sans-logis), which grouped these committees, was officially created in January 1955. Its main internal organ was Des Toits et des hommes (Action avec les sans-logis et les mal-logés), produced by the ASLAP (Aide aux Sans-Logis de l'Agglomération Parisienne). Within ASLAP, two currents quickly emerged, one contesting elites. At its congress in Roubaix on 1–2 December 1956, the UNASL adopted the name Confédération générale du logement (CGL). From that point, the organisation emphasised the need for a strong public service to protect the right of all to decent housing. Over the decades, the CGL developed its distinctive traits: a global unionism of housing, defence of a public housing service, and the empowerment of users. These were reflected in its successive internal publications: Des Toits et des Hommes, les Feuilles du mois, Action logement and CGL Mag. The CGL has consistently defended all categories of housing users — social tenants, other tenants, homebuyers, individual owners and occupying co-owners — while refusing to defend landlords. It has opposed the treatment of housing as an ordinary market commodity open to speculation, arguing that housing is a means of social liberation and emancipation and an inviolable and sacred right. It follows in the wake of Abbé Pierre's action and remains a member of Emmaüs France. In the field of co-ownership, the CGL has long advocated that co-owners take charge of their own affairs. It encourages the creation of associations affiliated with the CGL to end abuses by property managers (syndics). For small co-ownerships, it helps co-owners dispense with a syndic and manage themselves, supporting cooperative management where the president of the syndic council acts as property manager. The CGL is a nationally accredited consumer association in housing. Its accreditation was renewed for five years from 6 August 2020. It sits as a consumer representative on the Conseil national de la transaction et de la gestion immobilière (CNTGI) and on the Commission nationale de la concertation en matière locative. It maintains a website at lacgl.fr, publishes a press review, produces videos, and offers technical sheets for tenants, co-owners, homebuyers and housing-related consumers. It has local branches (antennes), including CGL38 in Grenoble, which won a victory before the Cour de cassation.

• 2020

  CGL's national consumer accreditation is renewed for five years from 6 August 2020.

• 1956

  At its Roubaix congress on 1–2 December, UNASL adopts the name Confédération générale du logement (CGL).

• 1955

  UNASL (Union nationale d'aide aux sans-logis) is officially created in January, grouping the aid committees.

• 1954

  Abbé Pierre launches his appeal on the radio during the winter, prompting the creation of committees to aid the homeless.

A nationally accredited French consumer association focused exclusively on housing, defending all housing users (tenants, co-owners, homebuyers) and advocating a strong public housing service and user self-management.

• Technical sheets (fiches techniques)

  Information sheets for tenants, co-owners, homebuyers and housing-related consumers.

• CGL Mag

  Internal publication of the CGL, one of its successive journals.

• Press review

  Regular press review published on the CGL website, divided into Housing and Housing Policy categories.

1. 1La Confédération Générale du Logement - association de défense des locataires copropriétaires consommateurslacgl.fr
2. 2Confédération générale du logement - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Confédération générale du logement - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org