Why has public housing become a locus of patterns of ethnic discrimination in French politics and society? Ethnicity was not an organizing principle of housing policy in the post-World War II period, nor did it influence decisions about the administrative structure of HLM (Habitations à loyer modéré) housing, the French public housing program. Nevertheless, recent research argues that HLM associations' administrative policy is in fact biased against ethnic minorities (translated from immigrés) (Geindre 1989; de Rudder 1992; Barou 1992; Blanc 1993; Bourgeois 1996). The result is the concentration of ethnic minorities in certain towers, certain buildings, certain cités. Such concentrations have led to an externally-defined ethnicization of space in which urban blight is seen as attributable to the presence of ethnic minorities themselves. This labeling process stigmatizes the daily interactions of particular ethnic groups in all aspects of life (Tomlins 1998).

In my dissertation, I will examine the question of ethnic distinction and segregation as it relates to public housing by studying the institutional structure of the French public housing program and the strategic interactions to which it gives rise.

My research will address three areas of inquiry. First, how does the institutional structure of housing policy (its discretionary nature and local administration) affect the process of ethnic segregation in French public housing? Second, what are the effects of the financing structure of the HLM housing system on housing outcomes? Finally, how do issues of housing allocation fit into the existing organization of political coalitions and what opportunities and incentives do these issues present for political actors?

To investigate these questions, four cités will be used as case studies. With each case, I will employ a combination of in-person interviews and on-site observation to gain an understanding of the allocation process. I will analyze archival material to elucidate policy and statutory laws concerning public housing. Equally important will be the study of the political context in which housing policy is formulated and units allotted-particularly given the weight of the far Right in political coalitions on the sub-national level.

Sophie Body-Gendrot (Sorbonne- Paris IV) will oversee my research in France. Martin Schain is my supervisor at New York University (NYU). In March, I will commence five months of preliminary fieldwork in France.

Three months of this research are funded by a fellowship through the Department of Politics at NYU, while the remaining two are funded by a pre-dissertation fellowship from European Union Center of New York. My travel expenses related to this research are covered by a research travel grant from the Institute of French Studies at NYU. For the 1999-2000 academic year, I have applied for grants from outside agencies to fund this project.

My intention is to complete my dissertation by the end of 2000.