Despite the current health situation, emergency accommodation solutions for families are insufficient, and isolated young minors are put back into the streets every week by the department. In order to challenge the town hall of Rennes and the prefecture of Ille-et-Vilaine, and this in line with the actions carried out in Paris, a collective Réquisitions, made up of the housing group October 14 and associations Un Toit c’est un droit , the Right to Housing and Utopia 56, are formed in Rennes and join forces with these women, men and children on the street in order to make their situation more visible and obtain accommodation solutions.
In 2020, Rennes city hall set up an emergency accommodation system for families who have been refused asylum in France. Their action has provided housing for around 20 families. The Rennes associations have warned the town hall of the unsanitary conditions of this accommodation, and denounce the refusal to open new accommodation places, thus leaving many people homeless on a daily basis.
At the same time, the department of Ille-et-Vilaine continues to hand over minors whose minority is disputed to the street, without any other solution, despite the 3rd confinement. Isolated and minors, they cannot benefit from emergency care from 115 and are left to their own devices.
“I have never seen so many people on the street as this week. About thirty people in Saint-Anne including a family of 8 with 6 young children. We met more than 120 people then from our marauding. “ Léo – Volunteer at Utopia 56.
The Réquisitions à Paris collective has enabled, thanks to its actions, sheltering more than 720 people. While it should not be necessary to carry out such citizen actions in order to find accommodation solutions and thus enforce the law, these actions have so far proven their effectiveness.
In France, more than 300,000 people are homeless and more than 750,000 people live in makeshift housing or are forced to stay with third parties (Abbé Pierre Foundation). INSEE has identified 3 million vacant homes, not counting empty offices and premises, but the government refuses to enforce the requisition law.
Faced with these situations and after having alerted once again, last Friday by mail to the prefecture and the town hall, we are gathered today to demand the sheltering of all people on the street and the establishment of a real reception policy for exiled people, with respect for fundamental rights and the law.
We will remain on site as long as no decent solution is proposed.
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