While the number of people without accommodation continues to grow every year, elected officials are putting forward their proposals. At the start of the week, Senator Ian Brossat called for the requisition of empty housing. Opposite, in opposition, an elected official puts forward another solution, in a completely different state of mind: creating an “Airbnb of solidarity”, i.e. a housing platform where individuals could offer their property to host a day, a week or a month for homeless people, “in return for a tax-exempt compensatory allowance identical to that of hotels”.
“It would be a platform that we could call solidarity housing, in conjunction with associations and individuals,” suggests Pierre-Yves Bournazel, candidate for Paris City Hall and municipal councilor member of the Horizons party, who says he worked with Stéphanie Rivoal , former president of Action Against Hunger, on this proposal. It is a question of dignity and general interest which must transcend political parties. »
“Solidarity cannot be bought”
Who would pay for these overnight stays? “The City”, replies Pierre-Yves Bournazel, who “wants the State to participate and assume its task [c’est une compétence de l’Etat] » but wants to “take responsibility” if there is no agreement with the State on the subject. “The subject of great exclusion does not suffer from the battles between the State and the City,” comments the co-president of the Independents and Progressives group. Utopia 56 does it and it works, why couldn’t the City do it on a larger scale? »
The Utopia 56 association has in fact built an emergency accommodation system based on the goodwill of 500 citizens, in Paris or near suburbs. In fact, less than 5% are actually available each evening. Except that the system is pure solidarity, without any exchange of money. “All initiatives are good but I think that solidarity cannot be monetary, everything should not be business. We are more in favor of requisitioning empty buildings,” comments Yann Manzi, co-founder of Utopia 56.
“I am not criticizing the requisition proposal, but the legal complexity means that we will still be talking about it in a few years. On the other hand, I am shocked that there are too many vacant homes, which must be put back on the market. We need a tax lever, with a sanction when you do not put your home on the market, and an incentive when you put it,” estimates Pierre-Yves Bournazel.
“It’s up to the State to finance that”
At the Town Hall, we welcome the proposal, while waiting to see the details. Léa Filoche, Anne Hidalgo’s solidarity assistant, says she is “welcome to all solutions”, but is not “sure that this is enough”. “There are between 3,000 and 5,000 people on the streets and 262,000 empty apartments. What are we doing about these vacant homes? » The number of unoccupied housing in Paris has exploded in recent years, reaching 18.8% of the real estate stock in 2020, according to Apur. In February 1954, in the middle of Abbé Pierre’s appeal, this figure was 2%, affirms Léa Filoche.
“The initiative is virtuous, and is not contradictory with what we are proposing on the requisition,” says Ian Brossat, senator from Paris and former deputy for housing. For his part, Yann Manzi is still worried that the City will be asked to finance overnight stays. “It’s up to the State to finance that, I’m convinced,” says the co-founder of Utopia 56, who also believes that there is no legal obstacle to requisition, but rather “ a lack of political will.
Acquisition of social hotels
Pierre-Yves Bournazel, however, is not satisfied with this proposal in the hope of solving the problem of families sleeping on the street in Paris. He also wants a complete census of unoccupied public premises, whether they are unoccupied for a certain time during the year or simply at night, whether they belong to the State, the region, the municipality, or any other public body.
The elected official from Edouard Philippe’s party also wants to promote the acquisition and repurchase of social hotels so that they are devoted exclusively to emergency accommodation. And to conclude: “This would allow us to have lasting solutions, and it is better than hotel nights which are expensive. It would also be an opportunity to renovate these places and ensure better monitoring of these people. »