L'Etape Saint Thomas

Founded in 1987, L'Etape Saint Thomas is a non-profit association based in Aubagne, France working on housing & homelessness, children & youth, community development.

L'Etape Saint Thomas is an education-populaire association governed under the French 1901 law, founded in 1987 and based in Aubagne. It runs a Habitat Jeunes offering temporary and longer-term accommodation for young people aged 16 to 30 who are in training, on fixed-term or permanent contracts, interns, apprentices, students or jobseekers receiving benefits. Accommodation includes rooms, studios and shared apartments in the city centre near the station, rented on a monthly basis with charges included, and is eligible for CAF housing benefit. Around 40 places are reserved for under-30s. Residents can use shared facilities such as a kitchen, laundry, bicycle and scooter store, TV room, games room and terrace. A social and family economics adviser provides individual support for finding and keeping housing, managing budgets, administrative procedures and financial aid applications, and mediating with landlords. The association also organises cultural, health, citizenship and sports activities for residents. It is approved by the Bouches-du-Rhône departmental council and funded or agreed with the State, the departmental council, the Aix-Marseille metropolitan authority and the CAF. It is a member of the Union Nationale pour l'Habitat des Jeunes and describes itself as the only Habitat Jeunes in the Aubagne area.