Examining Poverty in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region: Insights from Isabelle Grimault, Commissioner for the Fight Against Poverty

Isabelle Grimault is the commissioner for the fight against poverty in New Aquitaine. Its mission is to make the different social assistance actors work together smoothly.

Does the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region stand out from others in terms of poverty?

There are regional specificities which are linked to geography. Our region is very large with large departments. There is a dense population distribution around urban areas such as the Bordeaux metropolis, Bayonne, La Rochelle, Limoges or Poitiers and…

Isabelle Grimault is the commissioner for the fight against poverty in New Aquitaine. Its mission is to make the different social assistance actors work together smoothly.

Does the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region stand out from others in terms of poverty?

There are regional specificities which are linked to geography. Our region is very large with large departments. There is a dense population distribution around urban areas such as the Bordeaux metropolis, Bayonne, La Rochelle, Limoges or Poitiers and in the middle of large rural areas. We note the presence of poor people in priority neighborhoods, but also in the rural sector where it is particularly the oldest who are concerned. There is not a high density of poverty, but it is very scattered. And the further apart people are, the more complicated the situation.

What is the main difficulty faced by people experiencing poverty?

Accommodation is undoubtedly a very heavy burden. Rents can be very expensive in urban centers. But in rural areas, some homeowners may also struggle to maintain a poorly insulated home where money goes up in smoke when it comes to heating.

There has been a lot of talk about the precariousness of young people this fall…

This is a phenomenon that was highlighted during the health crisis and which continues. There are many young people who do not benefit from the support of their parents as could have been the case before. As for student employment, it exists but it is difficult to balance with study time. I understand that university presidents are concerned when they see the difficulties their students encounter. We can indeed wonder about the possibility of an income to support them. The aid that already exists will continue, like the 1 euro restaurant U. We have also released an envelope to strengthen food aid in small university centers where students are sometimes a little isolated.

There is not a high density of poverty in New Aquitaine, but it is very scattered. And the further away people are, the more complicated the situation is.”

The Restos du coeur have sounded the alarm, but all the associations say they are facing an influx of requests. Is there no cause for alarm?

There is a massive increase in state food aid. In New Aquitaine, credits have doubled over the past three years. We also support associations in their diversification projects to take into account the needs of families. Some people who were entitled to food aid did not apply for it a few years ago. But today, with increasing costs, they find it impossible to do otherwise. We work with associations to promote their local roots and less expensive short circuits.

Beyond aid, how can we effectively fight poverty?

To escape poverty, you need to have a job that pays well. We must therefore act against everything that hinders the return to employment. With local authorities, we are working to reduce the obstacles linked to mobility with the creation of dedicated platforms. They can direct people towards the rental or temporary loan of a vehicle, solidarity garages or set up a travel plan using public transport. There are several platforms in the region. Cali (Libournais urban community), for example, has one. In the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, there are several.

We are also deploying reception methods for single mothers with the development of crèches aimed at integration to enable them to look for work or train. We have also put in place measures around schooling such as compulsory schooling from the age of 3 or the monitoring of young people aged 16 to 18 who have dropped out.

The question of access to rights still arises.

We work with the Departmental Councils to guarantee unconditional local welcome. Everyone must be within thirty minutes of a France services agency or a CCAS. The digitalization of many activities has created digital insecurity. We have launched calls for projects to provide answers. Payment at source without having to justify it every quarter, particularly for the RSA, which we are going to put in place, should bring a real improvement. Experiments are also being carried out in the Médoc or in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande to bring together all the services by pooling data from the different operators.