Homelessness and people living in poor conditions are on the rise in France, warns the Abbé Pierre Foundation (FAP).
In its annual report released Wednesday, the foundation puts the number of homeless people in France at 330,000.
This is 30,000 more than the previous year and an increase of about 130% compared to 2012, the date of INSEE’s last survey on the subject.
The report also addresses governments and the “insufficiency” of their efforts to remedy the problem.
“That’s still a pretty conservative estimate,” said Manuel Domergue, the Foundation’s head of research.
In total, the Foundation estimates that 4.15 million people live in poor housing conditions. This includes those without private housing, those living in too small spaces, and those deprived of basic comforts (kitchen, toilet, heating).
Poor housing “halos”, including situations like fuel shortages and unpaid bills, affect 12.1 million people, or more than one-sixth of the population, according to FAP calculations.
This year, in a chapter entitled “Gender in Poor Housing,” FAP looked at specific vulnerabilities faced by women and LGBT+ people.
Research has revealed that they are at risk of living in poor homes at four points in their lives.
Inflation, which has accelerated significantly in 2022, is hurting low-income households by increasing constrained costs (housing, travel and food), the Foundation notes.
Single-parent families, for example, can quickly fall into the red just by paying these increasing costs, the foundation explains.
As in previous years, the FAP restrained the government, deciding that 2022 was “a blank year or close to fighting poor housing.”
“Rarely does the gap between poor housing conditions on the one hand and insufficient public response to make housing affordable on the other seem so wide.”
Aid distributed to mitigate the effects of inflation, such as tariff shields, is not well targeted, according to reports.
Aid for the renovation of MaPrime Rénov’s homes, whose envelope has been increased in the 2023 budget, has been deemed inadequate as it barely finances efficient renovations and places an insurmountable burden on the poorest. is regarded.
“For the richest, it’s a permanent, large-scale measure, and for the poorest, it’s a one-time measure,” exasperated Christophe Robert, president of the foundation.
According to the FAP, the “public effort for housing,” which aggregates aid for people and production, will account for just 1.5% of gross domestic product in 2021, the lowest it’s been since at least 1991. .
The magazine added that managing rents and fighting Airbnb-style seasonal rents remains too timid.
As for public housing, Emmanuel Macron’s savings measures for his first five years in office have been maintained, despite rising libretto A rates that have increased the debt of public housing owners.
The government has even implemented policies “sometimes against the poor,” citing unemployment insurance reform and anti-squatter bills aimed at shortening coverage periods, the foundation claims.
On the most pressing issue, if the government has given up on eliminating emergency accommodation, “the very fact that it has considered reducing it is a rather alarming signal for us,” Christophe said. Robert decided.
During the official presentation of the report at the Maison de la Mutualité in Paris on Wednesday, city and housing minister representative Olivier Klein is expected to announce a new ‘housing first’ plan in response to criticism. It has been. Facilitate the return of homeless people to housing.
