Etienne Primard was born on a farm near Paris. In the 1970s, Etienne created a building company to give a job to “people that nobody wants” and, without any external help, to demonstrate that it was possible. He created SNL with his brother in 1988 to provide an answer to housing problems. They invented a three-pillar method to which the association still complies: gather and form a local solidarity group, raise funds aimed at creating or renovating transitional accommodation and propose them for minimal rent to people who cannot hope to find accommodation on their own; and help tenant families find long-term housing while associating them with the group’s action.