The number of homeless people in France has increased by 130% in 10 years

The France-based charity Abbe Pierre Foundation has published its annual report on housing problems in the country in 2022.

The report revealed that until last year, 4.15 million people in the country struggled with the housing problem or lived in subhuman conditions. A significant portion of those in this category were those living in unsanitary conditions, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and heating rooms, as well as those living in uncomfortable conditions.

According to the report, the number of homeless people in France rose to 330,000 and this rate increased by 130 percent in 10 years. While 200,000 of them are kept in emergency accommodation, 110,000 are kept in temporary shelters, 27,000 are forced to sleep on the street, in the subway, in tents or in cars.

While the number of homeless pregnant women and women with babies has increased, the proportion of children living on the streets has reached alarming proportions. Just on the night of December 5, 2022, the parents of 122 children in the capital Paris called the emergency services and reported that they were unable to care for their children. This rate reached 5,000 across the country on the same day. The accommodation problem of 1,346 of them remained unresolved.

CRITICAL FOR MACRON MANAGEMENT

In France, the number of people in fragile situations such as not being able to pay rent and bills exceeded 12 million. While a significant proportion of them had heating problems where they lived, a significant proportion of them had to live in very small houses.

Although one of the most important reasons for the housing problem is the increase in rents, in 2022 an unprecedented price increase was registered in the country in all areas, especially energy, in the last 30 years.

Although President Emmanuel Macron ruled the country for a second term, he has been criticized for failing to put the housing issue at the top of the country’s priority on the government’s road map. In last year’s report from the foundation, it was claimed that the number of people experiencing homelessness and poor housing conditions increased in France, and that Macron’s policies were insufficient. (AA)