the Minister of Housing announces an additional 120 million euros

The Minister for Housing, Patrice Vergriete, announced Monday January 8 that an additional 120 million euros would be committed to “strengthen the emergency accommodation system”, while France is experiencing an episode of intense cold which will intensify on Tuesday. “The aim is not only to create places, but to prevent people from entering emergency accommodation and to [en] get out more quickly”, said the minister, during a visit to a day reception center in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.

This new envelope corresponds to 10,000 additional places, but “we don’t want to get into the space game because it would almost be more in our interest to try to shorten the delays in emergency accommodation”added Patrice Vergriete. In November, he explained on franceinfo that France had 203,000 emergency accommodation places.

The envelope will be used to meet urgent needs, in particular to accommodate women and children on the street, estimated at 3,000 according to Emmaüs. It must also make it possible to “in-depth reform of the emergency accommodation system”.