Association LAZARE

What Association LAZARE does

Association LAZARE is a French nonprofit (association loi 1901, SIREN 529 944 613) founded on 15 December 2010 and headquartered in Nantes. It operates a network of solidarity colocation houses that pair formerly homeless individuals (colocataires) with young working professionals in shared housing, supported by volunteer godparents (parrains/marraines), Service Civique volunteers, and partner faith communities. As of the most recent disclosures the association runs 22 houses — 15 in France and 7 internationally across Belgium, Switzerland, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom — and has hosted more than 945 residents cumulatively, with 28,599 nights off the street avoided in 2024 alone and 280,000 cumulative nights since inception. Reported social outcomes include 86% of colocataires reporting new friendships and 58% of those entering with addiction issues showing progress.

The operating model combines residential social services with a community-integration thesis rather than purely technical products. Underlying infrastructure is intentionally low-tech: a WordPress website with Google Analytics and Instagram integration for marketing and donor communications, with no proprietary software, data platform, or AI/ML systems disclosed. The association employs 65 staff.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix: tax-deductible individual donations (66–75% deductible depending on regime), corporate philanthropy, indemnités d'occupation of approximately €320 per resident per month plus €80 in groceries (≈ €400/month total), and gîte short-term rental at €10/day per person. The association is also piloting complementary program formats — studios d'envol (transitional studios) and vacation houses — and celebrated its 15th anniversary in December 2025 with a dedicated €100,000 fundraising campaign. A pipeline of 90 new places across Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Le Mans, and Angers is targeted for 2026, following three French house openings in 2024 (Montpellier, Lorient, Clermont-Ferrand).

Name

Association LAZARE

Legal name

Association LAZARE

Website

https://lazare.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Association LAZARE is a French nonprofit (founded 2010, Nantes) operating 22 solidarity colocation houses — 15 in France plus 7 internationally — that pair formerly homeless individuals with young professionals, financed through donations, resident indemnities, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Housing Services

NAICS

Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Co-Living / Hybrid Extended-Stay Residences (THAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Solidarity housing
• Shared accommodation
• Homeless services
• Community living
• Social reintegration

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations (Individuals): Individual donors contribute funds that finance the construction of new houses. Donations are tax-deductible at 75% of income tax up to €1000, and 66% beyond.
2. Indemnité d'occupation (Resident fees): Residents pay a monthly indemnification of €320 plus €80 for groceries, totaling €400/month. Some residents receive public housing allowances (CAF) which offset this cost. These fees cover operational costs of existing houses.
3. Gîte/Vacation rental (Vaumoise): The Vaumoise house operates a guesthouse for external visitors at €10/day/person to cover hosting and meal costs.
4. Corporate donations and philanthropy: Companies and foundations can make donations, including those subject to IFI (Impôt sur la Fortune Immobilière).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Association LAZARE operates solidarity colocation houses (colocations solidaires) that pair people experiencing homelessness with young working professionals in shared homes across France and internationally. Beyond the core colocation offering, the association runs intermediate-autonomy studios (studios d'envol), a vacation house (La Bastide Sarrians), a rural gîte (Gîte de Vaumoise), and a coworking space at Vaumoise for remote working.

Product overview

Association Lazare operates a network of colocation houses — called 'maisons Lazare' — that pair formerly homeless individuals with young working professionals in non-mixed shared apartments. The core product is the 'colocations solidaires' itself: each house hosts 6–10 residents who share weekly dinners and community life, with each resident paying an occupancy indemnity. Supporting sub-products include 'studios d'envol' (autonomy-step studios within select houses), the 'Maison de vacances' (La Bastide Sarrians, a Provence vacation house for short stays), the Vaumoise rural gîte and coworking offering, and the 'famille responsable' program where a volunteer family lives on-site for 3 years. The organization runs 15 houses in France (Lyon, Nantes, Marseille, Lille, Angers, Toulouse, Rennes, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Nancy, Lorient, Montpellier, Vaumoise, La Bastide Sarrians, and Nantes Studios) and 7 houses internationally in Belgium, Mexico, and Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Colocations solidaires Shared housing units across approximately 15 houses in France and 7 abroad where formerly homeless residents and young working professionals live together under the supervision of full-time accompagnateurs, with a flat monthly occupancy indemnity.
• Studios d'envol

Quantifiable outcome

• 28,599 nights on the street avoided in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Rowing Stones AtlanticminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 January 2025Four friends (Rowing Stones) undertook a 53-day Atlantic rowing expedition to raise awareness for Lazare. Their sponsors ceded visibility to Lazare; Lazare invested no money. The expedition promoted Lazare internationally and was covered on social media.
• Association Massabielle (La Source)minorOthersJean-Jacques was referred to Lazare through Association Massabielle (also called La Source) in Marseille, which supports homeless individuals and directed him to the Lazare colocation program.
• ELIVIA SASminorOthersGuillaume, a coloc at Lazare Angers, helped his formerly homeless coloc Georges secure a job at ELIVIA SAS (his employer), where Georges was hired as an interim worker. ELIVIA SAS is a company that hired a Lazare resident.
• Welcome to the Jungle FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWelcome to the Jungle produced a report/story on Lazare colocation and Lionel's journey from homelessness to CDI employment, featured on their platform and shared by Lazare.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Coallia: Large French social housing and social inclusion operator running shelters, residences, and reintegration programs for vulnerable populations. Comparable to Lazare in operating residential/social housing for vulnerable populations across France, but at much larger institutional scale.
• Samusocial de Paris: Paris-based emergency social service organization providing outreach, shelter, and care to homeless individuals. Comparable to Lazare in addressing the same beneficiary population in France, but focused on emergency interventions rather than long-term colocation reintegration.
• Fondation de l'Armée du Salut: French arm of the Salvation Army operating social housing, emergency shelters, and reintegration programs for homeless and vulnerable people. Comparable in mission and residential service model, but at larger institutional scale and with a faith-based identity.
• Fondation Abbé Pierre: France's leading housing advocacy and affordable housing nonprofit, addressing homelessness and substandard housing through policy, advocacy, and direct housing programs. Comparable to Lazare as a French nonprofit focused on the same beneficiary population, but operating at advocacy/incumbent scale rather than coloc-based model.
• Aurore: French nonprofit operating emergency shelters, social residences, and reintegration programs for homeless people and vulnerable groups. Comparable to Lazare in mission and French operating context, but at larger institutional scale and a more traditional shelter-based model.

Direct peers

• Emmaüs France: Major French nonprofit federation providing housing, employment, and reintegration pathways to people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Comparable to Lazare in mission (housing + social reintegration) and French nonprofit structure, though its model is more thrift-store/sheltered-employment oriented.
• Lazarus Housing (UK): UK affiliate of Lazare (lazarushomes.org.uk) operating the same solidarity colocation model in the United Kingdom. Closest peer—same model, same organization family, different country.
• Toit Ensemble: French nonprofit developing 'colocations solidaires' that mix people in housing difficulty with volunteers in shared housing—a model very close to Lazare's. Directly comparable mission, model, and beneficiary population.

Regional players

• France Terre d'Asile: French nonprofit providing housing and legal/social support to refugees and asylum seekers. Comparable to Lazare as a French nonprofit operating residential housing for vulnerable populations, with similar funding structures but a different beneficiary profile.

Emerging players

• Homefulness (Pittsburgh, USA): US nonprofit building cooperative housing communities for people coming out of homelessness, with a shared-living ethos. Comparable to Lazare in combining affordable housing with intentional community, though operating at much smaller scale and a different geographic context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-lazare
• Instagraminstagram.com/lazare_france

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association LAZARE