For Christophe Robert, the general delegate of the Abbé Pierre Foundation, “expulsion is really the worst solution”.
On this first day of the winter break, which suspends rental evictions until March 31, 2024, the Abbé Pieere Foundation is calling on the State to address the increase in rental evictions. A period of five months, during which tenants, with a few exceptions, cannot be evicted. “It is absolutely necessary, and I appeal to the government, to take advantage of this period to reach out to all the people who risk being expelled from next April 1”alert Wednesday, November 1 on franceinfo Christophe Robert, the general delegate of the Foundation.
“In 2022, 17,500 households, or nearly 38,000 people, were evicted from their homes by the police. This record figure, up more than 130% in 20 years, is likely to increase further in 2023 based on feedback from several territories and the increase in unpaid debts noted by landlords”, warns the Abbé Pierre Foundation. But according to Christophe Robert, the number of evicted households is in reality “two to three times” more important, because this figure of 17,500 households does not include those who were not evicted with the assistance of the police.
A truce to look for solutions
This period of respite for households who do not pay their rent, “obtained in 1956 by Abbé Pierre”reminds Christophe Robert, must be used to find solutions. “There are people who don’t know that they could have help to pay their rent, perhaps we will also need to help them find accommodation”. But he insists: “Eviction is truly the worst solution.”
Christophe Robert also invites tenants in difficulty to “don’t be alone” and get closer “social services of the department, municipal social action centers” or to contact the platform “hello prevention of evictions” of the Abbé Pierre Foundation at 0810 001 005. According to him, “absolutely fundamental”because “the idea of the winter break is not about going backwards to jump better”.
Christophe Robert fears an increase in expulsions at the end of this winter break because of “inflation and rising energy costs”. The general delegate of the Abbé Pierre Foundation notes that “people who have not been expelled without solution until now“find themselves on the street. “I am thinking of families with sometimes young children or very elderly people because the accommodation sector is saturated”he laments.
The State must step up its efforts
The Minister of Housing, Patrice Vergriete, told the National Assembly on Tuesday that‘”no government has done so much on emergency accommodation”. It is “just” admits the general delegate of the Abbé Pierre Foundation, because the government has kept the 40,000 emergency accommodation places open during the Covid-19 crisis. However, this is not the question according to him, “the question is that there are people on the street and that is not acceptable”. He emphasizes that 115, the emergency number for homeless people “is unable to offer an accommodation solution” to “8,000 people who call every evening.”
Christophe Robert denounces the expulsions which “add misery to misery”. He understands that unpaid bills can put owners in difficulty. “The prefect can postpone the time to find a solution, but it must not be the owner who bears the cost. So, there is a fund to compensate owners.” The Abbé Pierre Foundation asks “that this fund is reassessed, increased precisely to avoid evictions, while we find alternative solutions to eviction.”