Paris Opens House of Peace for Students and Refugees

In a city neighborhood known for universities and history, Paris is creating something new: a place where generations connect and newcomers find welcome.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Sant'Egidio France President Valérie Régnier signed an agreement in March 2026 to open the House of Peace in Paris's 5th arrondissement. The center will bring together elderly people and students in a shared living arrangement, with both private rooms and communal spaces designed for mutual support.

The timing matters. As conflicts spread across Europe and beyond, Paris is betting on human connection as an antidote to division.

The House of Peace will welcome refugee families arriving through humanitarian corridors from Lebanon, Ukraine, and other conflict zones. They'll have access to free language courses to help them build new lives in France.

Secondary school students and university volunteers from the Youth for Peace movement will run a School of Peace program. They'll work with children ages 6 to 12 from all backgrounds, teaching cooperation and understanding through hands-on activities.

Sant'Egidio has been developing these cohabitation models since 2013 as alternatives to isolation and large institutional facilities. The approach prioritizes real relationships over simply providing services.

The building itself needs renovation work before opening, but once ready, it will host more than just residents. Meetings, conferences, and exhibitions will fill the calendar, making the space a hub for local and international solidarity work.

The Ripple Effect

The House of Peace model shows how one building can address multiple challenges at once. Elderly people gain companionship and purpose. Students find affordable housing and meaningful community engagement. Refugees get language skills and a soft landing in an unfamiliar country. Children learn peace isn't just the absence of conflict but something you actively build.

Located near the Panthéon and universities, the center sits in the heart of French intellectual life. That geography matters. Students walking to class will see integration happening in real time, not as theory but as neighbors sharing coffee and conversation.

The cohabitation aspect challenges assumptions about who belongs together. Modern cities often separate people by age, income, and origin. This project deliberately mixes them, creating what Sant'Egidio calls "models of social inclusion."

For the elderly residents, the arrangement offers something nursing homes rarely provide: a sense of contributing rather than just receiving care. They're not patients but participants in a living experiment about how humans can support each other.

Paris is choosing hope as a practical strategy, not just a feeling. In a neighborhood shaped by monuments to the past, the House of Peace looks determinedly toward a more connected future.