the dismay of the tenants of the Vandernoot residence in Metz

Several citizens have been mobilizing for a few days, to alert on the situation of tenants of a senior residence, in the Sablon district in Metz, which is in the process of decay. About forty residents live there, in sometimes deplorable conditions. This residence, located rue Vandernoot, which has been deteriorating for several years, has changed social landlord: formerly managed by LogiEst, it is now owned by the ASTL (Association Seniors Temps Libre, managed by the Avec group, formerly Amapa ), but the situation is not improving.

Pigeon droppings and molds

Outside, the facades are falling apart, the shutters no longer hold, pigeon droppings are piling up. Inside, in the apartments, unrepaired water leaks, as with this lady: “There is moisture flowing, mold, it smells bad. There the shutters are broken. Here, I no longer have the light, everything has been ripped off“. This other resident has caulked its single-glazed windows with cardboard. “And now, I refuse to redo the paintings, because I think I have spent enough in this apartment. I’m over a thousand euros, with my little pension of 900 euros“.

There is also more fragile, isolated residents who let themselves go, their apartments become real dumping grounds. An abandonment that cannot support Salwa Parasecoli, activist mobilized with these residents: “The emergency is already moral support, telling them that they are not alone. But we have to relocate them. It is a senior residence: the manager is supposed to support these people, knocking on their door to see how they live“.

Same analysis for Sandra Demanget, associative activist, who moves heaven and earth for that these residents be rehoused as soon as possible : “These are people aged 55 to 90, they are our elders, our elders. It’s already not easy with the Covid, the small pensions … It’s very serious“.

Work soon to begin

The Avec group, which bought the residence in 2019, says the concerns are much older. He has just obtained part of the funding to start the work: 30% of the global envelope, estimated at 1.5 million euros, has just been granted to him by the departmental council of Moselle, two weeks ago. Work to be carried out between 2022 and 2025.

But the lessor claims that it cannot answer all complex and individual issues of this file: “There are people for whom we cannot work alone. The decision to move people can’t be taken without their knowledge“, explains Anne Staudt, the hosting director of the Avec group. Without counting”support for people who have had a thorn in their feet“, by taking over this residence, which is not present today, according to the group Avec.

Several elected officials have visited the site in recent days: Emmanuel Lebeau and Anne Stémart, from the Department, or even the deputy Richard Lioger. All promise to report the problem to the various competent bodies. Letters were notably written to the prefect, to the Department and to Udaf.