POOR HOUSING | M6 | Zone Interdite

To sleep under a roof, in conditions that respect human dignity: a right that is written into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And yet in France nearly 3.8 million people suffer from poor housing and more than 12 million are insecure as regards their home.Stéphanie and Christophe, in their forties, live in a camper van with their 9-year-old daughter, Jade. They are in a constant search of work in order to survive. These former business owners tumbled down the social ladder when their wood fuel business went bust. Within a few weeks, the family loses everything: work, material possessions and their pretty house with its swimming pool. Now the couple goes from one temporary job to another or turns to agricultural work. Every day, Stéphanie and Christophe have to provide a solution to ensure that Jade’s education suffers as little as possible. These new-style nomads are increasingly numerous in our country, victims of poor housing and insecurity. Like this family, 8.8 million French people live on less than 1,000 Euros per month.A dank and dangerous cellar in the Paris suburbs, let at a high rent by the merchants of sleep: that’s the only solution that Dominique, a single father, could find to provide his two children aged 9 and 11 with shelter. Here, everything is make-do, patched-up and shoddy. In France, it is estimated that more than 500,000 hovels are rented out. Six months ago, the cellar was declared unfit for habitation. In principal, this gives the right to social housing. Relentlessly, the father calls the town hall, the prefecture, and housing associations. Each approach turns into an administrative nightmare! Like Dominique, nearly 2 million families are waiting to get social housing. In the Paris region, the waiting time is on average 7 years. So Dominique decided on strong-arm tactics outside his prefecture in an attempt to finally obtain decent accommodation.A car as final refuge before the street. Christophe, 34, works during the day, but for three years he’s spent every night on the back seat of his old Renault 25. With a windshield and tin bodywork for his larder, wardrobe and shelter. This thirty-year-old sleeps with one eye open, constantly on watch. With a steady job as a truck driver and his new-born daughter, Christopher’s thirties promised a bright future. But the drop into hell struck like a bolt of lightning. And, over the months, the temporary turned into the permanent. Like a quarter of the homeless in France, Christophe has never stopped working. Thanks to various little jobs, he earns around 900 Euros per month. A budget that is soon eaten up in daily expenses. Insurance, fuel, repairs to the car… and food. The last ten days of the month are always the most difficult: with just a few Euros in his account, Christophe won’t be eating every day. In France, one million people are living under the poverty level, even though they are in work.In this France that is now weakened, new forms of solidarity are emerging. David, owner of agricultural land near Avignon, turned his field into a refuge for victims of the crisis. The Grandes Terres is a place that is unique in France. The association created by David takes in families, the most insecure who have lost their homes, for the low rent of 200 Euros per month. David derives no financial benefit from his project. The reason he embarked on this adventure is that he himself has experienced the fear of the street. After 20 years in public works, his small business was unable to withstand the latest economic crisis. At les Grandes Terres, the watchword is solidarity: for the dozen families that are settled here it’s a way to bounce back after years of struggling. But the situation is insecure. Because it’s illegal to live on agricultural land. The local authorities have imposed several fines on the association and the case is in the hands of the Public Prosecutor. David and all the families face the risk of eviction.For nine months we followed the everyday lives of these families caught up in the spiral of insecurity and poor housing. Their anxieties and their challenges. Their battle to retain their dignity and try to climb back up the slope.