A family with two disabled people threatened with eviction in Marseille after complaints from neighbors

A few days before the winter break which begins on November 1, it is impossible for Anne-Marie, 50, to imagine herself being forcibly pushed by the police from her apartment. She has lived there for 16 years with her two children, her grandmother and her niece in social housing on Avenue de la Soude in the 9th arrondissement of Marseille. Her grandmother, 98 years old, suffering from Alzheimer’s, suffered a crisis of dementia and was bedridden. His niece she is suffering from Huntington’s disease, a degenerative disease which made her more than 80% disabled.

The social landlord “13Habitat” accuses this family of various nuisances to justify this request for eviction. Since 2016, neighbors of the residence have complained (anonymously) among other things of incessant arguments for six years, damage to the lobby, and even drug trafficking.

The mother refutes en bloc. According to her, noise pollution is unintentional : “The only noise there is is my cousin who is disabled, she is crying and she is screaming. We have already tied her foot with a rope because she was hitting the wall. I cannot putting a gag in your mouth would be abuse.”

The family lawyer does not understand how a family in such difficulties can be thrown out. For Master Hervé Seroussi this decision is incomprehensible without complaint to the police station or police investigation. The court decision relates only to anonymous testimonies. Some neighbours, met by France Bleu Provence, say they are scared and refuse to testify “for fear of reprisals“.

The social landlord 13 Habitat claims to follow a court decision: “Eviction is always our last resort after numerous attempts at conciliation. However, when the judgment orders eviction and the prefect validates the assistance of law enforcement, then the law has not been respected. by the tenant, and we owe it to ourselves to enforce the judgment.” The lessor also claims that the family is not left without a solution: “we worked with the social assistance service of the Departmental House of Solidarity for the monitoring and care of children“, without further details on the relocation of the family if the eviction takes place this week.

The prefecture confirms the expulsion decision in the coming days. She claims to simply follow a court decision too. On the other hand, she promises that the family will not end up on the street, “there will be a sheltering solution”.