1️⃣ ANALYTICAL SUMMARY

Context and issues: a dimension that has been little documented so far.

The study extends the first measure of social impact (MIS) of API habitats conducted by Hapi in 2024, focused on the residents (quality of life, autonomy, social ties, well-being) (p.3). It explores a dimension that has remained fallow: the reciprocal effects between a habitat and its territorial environment. The target audiences are the actors of the ecosystem — project leaders, local elected officials, medico-social partners, landlords (p.3). Four reasons justify an exploratory stance rather than a strict impact measurement: the small number of habitats, their small size, the absence of systematic collection of territorial data, and the non-existence of a validated indicator framework (p.3). The study acknowledges these limitations: its quantitative component "is not intended to be representative" (p.4).

Operational contributions: an analytical framework and a forthcoming facilitation tool.

The document proposes a definition of territorial impact distinct from anchoring, structured into five dimensions and based on the principle of reciprocity (p.5). It first documents what the territory provides to the habitat — pre-existing partnership fabric, political support, local services, long-term (p.6-7) — then what the habitat provides to the territory according to the five dimensions (p.8-9). It finally outlines a shared evaluation tool in the form of a spider diagram, usable upstream (defining priority impacts) and downstream (comparing projected and observed effects) (p.10-11). The contribution is not a validated toolbox, but a common language to structure the dialogue between actors with different perspectives (p.11).

2️⃣ KEY POINTS OF THE DOCUMENT

1️⃣ Impact ≠ anchoring, and reciprocity is the central principle (p.5). The anchoring designates local integration; the impact designates what the presence of the habitat produces over time. The same model of habitat does not produce the same effects depending on the territory. Five dimensions structure the analysis: social, collective, economic, environmental, political.

2️⃣ The territory conditions the habitat through four central resources (p.6-7). The existing partnership fabric is the first resource: the most anchored projects did not build their network "ex nihilo". Political support is divided into three configurations (initiating community / active non-initiating support / institutional indifference), the latter representing a real cost in human resources.

3️⃣ The social dimension is the most unanimously recognised effect (p.8). 67 % of responding project leaders believe they contribute to changing the perception of the public received (76 % in rural areas); 38 % believe they contribute to residential attractiveness, a proportion reported at 83 % in isolated rural areas. These figures are declared perceptions, not measurements.

4️⃣ Habitats play a role as a partnership catalyst (p.8). 74 % of responding project leaders report partnerships with local or associative actors, 61 % with local authorities; these proportions increase with the age of the project. The study sees this as a "sustainable territorial resource", independent of the habitat that initiated it.

5️⃣ Mobility in rural areas is an underestimated barrier, and an evaluation tool is proposed (p.7, p.10-11). 82 % of rural elected officials surveyed cite the lack of transport as the main difficulty. The study proposes a spider web impact profile (five axes), to be used both upstream and downstream of the project, while reminding that negative impacts may exist (neighbourhood tensions, local resistances) (p.10).

3️⃣ ACTIONS FOR LOCAL ACTORS

1️⃣ Map the existing partnership fabric before the opening (p.6). Distinguish formal and regular partnerships from simple, more fragile acquaintanceships. Identifying already mobilisable levers avoids having to rebuild a network from scratch and wasting more than a year of effort.

2️⃣ Position the political support among the three configurations described (p.7). Identifying whether the community is the initiator, an active non-initiating supporter, or in "institutional indifference" allows for anticipating obstacles (land issues, permits) and aiming for the inclusion of housing in local planning documents (PLUi, PLH, territorial project).

3️⃣ Check the minimal triptych of local services according to the public (p.7). For elderly people: accessible shops, available general practitioner, structured home help service. For mental disabilities: proximity to the medical-psychiatric network. Treating accessibility to transport as a prerequisite, not a detail, in rural areas or town.

4️⃣ Adopt the spider web impact profile as a dialogue support (p.10-11). Used upstream, it helps stakeholders and elected officials to define together the priority impacts; during operation, to compare projected and observed effects. To be handled as an entry for analysis on a spectrum, not as a score or a ranking.

5️⃣ Integrate a dual temporality and a long-term perspective in the evaluation (p.7, p.10-11). Some effects are visible from the first years (isolation, first partnerships, jobs), others only in the medium or long term (transformation of practices, political registration, spin-off). Evaluating too early risks underestimating the effects.

6️⃣ Explicitly anticipate negative impacts and divergent perspectives (p.10-11). Plan time to identify neighbourhood tensions and local resistances. Organise a "moment of crossing perspectives" (stakeholder, elected official, health professional, local resident) to build a shared reading rather than a juxtaposed one.

Unmet need reported by the study itself: there is not yet a validated set of indicators for territorial impact (p.3). The "examples of indicators" listed (p.8-9) are suggestions, not standardised or tested measures. Any operational use assumes this local adaptation.

4️⃣ ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Internal references — Health Practices (to be manually verified before publication: indexing confirms their existence, but direct access to the site may be unstable):

• Thematic section / INCLUSIVE Habitat — Health Practices: https://www.pratiquesensante.com/blog/tag/habitat-inclusif-424

External references —

1️⃣ Foundation of France — Living together differently: the experiment "Shared and Solidarity Habitats" (December 2025), evaluation conducted by the Generacio firm (2023-2025). Direct methodological complement: same evaluator, focus on the effects of shared habitats on residents and territories.

→ foundationdefrance.org — Shared and Solidarity Habitats

2️⃣ CNSA — Contribution from the CNSA Council, Intermediate housing: living well and ageing well in a home made for oneself (October 2025). National framing complement: 8 proposals, call to create 500,000 intermediate housing solutions by 2050. The document is published on cnsa.fr.

→ cnsa.fr — Inclusive housing

3️⃣ Hapi — Collective Social Impact Measurement 2026 (methodological kit MIS: questionnaires, guide, indicators). Methodological complement: measurement at the housing level, distinct from the territorial impact addressed here.

→ myinclusivehousing.fr — Collective MIS 2026

5️⃣ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1️⃣ What does "API" mean and which habitats are we talking about exactly?

API = Accompanied, Shared and Integrated into local life. It refers to collective or dispersed habitats, on a small scale, for elderly people or those with disabilities, allowing for autonomous living with shared support. The study includes habitats with or without Shared Living Assistance (AVP) and various forms of management (associative, communal, privately limited profit) (p.3).

2️⃣ What is the difference between "anchoring" and "territorial impact"?

The anchoring designates the way in which the habitat integrates locally; the impact designates what its presence produces over time on the territory and its inhabitants. A habitat can be well anchored without yet producing measurable effects, and vice versa (p.5).

3️⃣ What are the five dimensions of impact?

Social (links, change of perspective), collective (governance, partnerships), economic (employment, local activity), environmental (land, mobility — the least documented), political (inclusion in territorial strategies) (p.5, p.8-9).

4️⃣ What does the territory concretely bring to a project?

Four resources: the pre-existing partnership fabric, political support, the provision of local services and mobility, as well as time (territorial maturity). Some are essential conditions, others are mere facilitators (p.6-7).

5️⃣ Are the figures from the study representative?

No. The document specifies that the results of the survey "are not intended to be representative" but to enrich the qualitative analysis. The percentages reflect perceptions of respondents, based on 637 usable responses (carriers) and 105 respondents (elected officials) (p.4).

6️⃣ When should the impact of a habitat be evaluated?

Neither too early, nor at a single moment. Some effects appear from the first years, others in the medium term (professional practices, representations), others in the long term (policies, spin-offs). A dual upstream/downstream timing is recommended (p.7, p.10-11).

7️⃣ Is the evaluation tool proposed usable as it stands?

It is a dialogue support (spider web profile on five axes), not a validated reference framework. There are not yet any standardised indicators; one of the objectives of the study is precisely to lay its foundations. Any use assumes a local adaptation (p.3, p.10-11).

6️⃣ REWRITING IN EASY LANGUAGE

What this document says

This document talks about API housing.

API means: Accompanied, Shared, Integrated into local life.

These are small homes for elderly or disabled people.

People live alone in their homes.

But they share moments and activities with others.

An association called Hapi conducted a study.

The study seeks to understand two things.

One: how housing changes the surrounding area.

Two: how the area helps or hinders housing.

The area refers to the neighbourhood, the municipality, the department.

Important ideas

• The area provides things to housing. For example: partners, the help of elected officials, shops, a doctor.

• Without these things, the project is more difficult.

• Housing also provides things to the area. For example: connections between people, jobs, a different perspective on disability.

• Many project leaders believe that their housing helps the area. But these are opinions, not exact measurements.

• The lack of transport is a big problem in the countryside.

• The study proposes a framework to discuss the impact together. This framework has five parts. This framework is not yet a finished tool.

What needs to be remembered

• Each habitat is different according to its territory.

• We must wait to see all the effects.

• Some effects are good, others may be difficult.

• The best thing is to talk together: stakeholders, elected officials, residents.

7️⃣ CROSS-ANALYSIS — VALUES OF HEALTH PRACTICES

• Literacy : the document itself remains technical; it does not offer tools suitable for the varied levels of understanding of the residents (no accessible version is included).

• Empowerment : the involvement of beneficiaries is poorly documented; the data comes from stakeholders and elected officials, not directly from the residents.

• Participation : co-construction is mentioned as a goal (dialogue between perspectives, upcoming facilitation tool), but is not yet formalised into an operational mechanism (p.11).

• Community health: the collective dimension is central — reducing isolation at the neighbourhood level, cooperative dynamics between actors (p.8).

• Ethics : the study honestly reports its limitations (non-representativeness, possible negative impacts, divergent perspectives), which is a form of rigor, but does not address specific cultural biases (p.4, p.10-11).

• Human rights: the horizon of the "inclusive territory" (ordinary and chosen life, without being forced to leave) falls under a logic of equity and inclusion (p.11).

• Intersectorality : strongly present — housing links home care, private medicine, school, associations, social landlords (p.8).

• Partnership : models of collaboration are described (formalised partnerships vs scattered relationships; configurations of political support), without type conventions or formalised protocols (p.6-7).

• Fight against discrimination: the "change of perspective" on disability and ageing is a major axis; non-judgment and the diversity of audiences are valued, without in-depth treatment of intersecting discrimination (p.8).

8️⃣ EVALUATION OF THE RELIABILITY OF THE RESOURCE

Scientific relevance — moderate, to be contextualised.

Assumed mixed methodology (literature analysis, 14 institutional interviews, 5 case studies / 15 interviews, two questionnaires) (p.4). Three opposing reservations: (1) source of advocacy — Hapi promotes API housing, study funded by stakeholders in the sector (Bank of Territories, Foundation of France, CNAV); this is not an independent evaluation with a peer review committee. (2) Non-representative quantitative aspect, claimed as such (p.4); the percentages are declared perceptions of stakeholders ("estimate contributing"), not measured impacts — a decisive distinction not to be overlooked. (3) Document subsequent to the reliability date of the knowledge mobilised: the analysis is based on the provided file and on dated external verifications. The transparency of the study regarding its own limitations is, on the other hand, a point of real rigor.

Operational relevance — good as a framework, limited as a tool.

The document provides an immediately mobilisable common language (five dimensions, reciprocity, double temporality) and concrete benchmarks (triptych of services, three configurations of political support). But the evaluation tool remains at the proposal stage : no validated indicator framework (p.3), the listed indicators being untested examples. Usable from today to structure a dialogue and prepare a project; not to be presented as a completed measurement device.

9️⃣ STRATEGIC HASHTAGS

#healthpractices #InclusiveHousing #APIHousing #TerritorialImpact #ElderlyAutonomy #InclusiveTerritory #SupportForSharedLiving #CommunityHealth

🔍➕ For more information, see the articles referenced by "Health Practices" on the theme of health and work ➡️🔗

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