A-Infos (en) France, Coordination of Anarchist Groups CGA Infos and Libertairian Analyses - IAL #94 - Housing policy: when the state creates misery (fr) [machine translation]

In Toulouse, as elsewhere ... ---- Toulouse, October 8, 2012, the inhabitants · e · s the 
last building requisitioned by the AERC are expelled·e·s by the cops. Disproportionate 
means are employed by the Prefecture for the hundreds of empty capita·e·s who lived at 22, 
rue Demouilles. Helicopters, cables to go through the roof, a dozen police cars, looping 
the neighborhood, the observation of living·e·s is clear: " To expel the state finds money 
. " For over a year, the CREA in its campaign to requisition empty homes lived several 
evictions more muscular. In August it was the place where the group had set up an 
Autonomous Social Center and several homes for families on the street that had been 
drained and walled off by the cops. ---- Just before winter so they are hundreds of people 
who are without stable housing solution or, for the more fortunate, have been able to find 
a place in other squats. Requisitions CREA Toulouse allow 200 \ people to be accommodated: 
" It is better that the state "said an activist of CREA at the last expulsion.

 The State expels and boastful

The State, in fact, is far from meeting the needs of the population in terms of housing or 
accommodation. Left or right to power, nothing changes, except the announcement effects of 
the Housing Minister that a few days after the expulsion of the CREA, she " could not stop 
"is in favor of the requisition empty slots! Requisition, the word impresses when it comes 
to actually negotiate a period of 2 years with corporate owners that leave too long in the 
eyes of the State unoccupied. Only companies that are involved and within 2 years in 
addition to that already provided by the law of 1998, so 30 months. According to INSEE 
there 2.45 million vacant housing identified in France and private owners are obviously 
not there for nothing.



The evictions, they, and continued at high speed before the winter break. Result in large 
cities, shelters are full. In Toulouse, the team of the "115" emergency call service for 
homeless people, can no longer fulfill its mission. Lack of sufficient number of places, 
she pronounces refusal 140 per day after the expulsion of their local activists protesting 
against the CREA last eviction, she decides to assert his "right of withdrawal". Enough is 
enough, for many years no extra space and perennial is created and it is the honest worker 
· Social · s that it is the bad news of the persons concerned.



Other "115" rally in the country and know that this year, the opening of additional seats 
will the thermometer. Below 0 ° C, additional beds will be installed. It is most often 
mattress in existing structures, in gymnasiums or halls. People are returned to the street 
the next morning the eye on the thermometer to expect the next night not to sleep outside. 
If grassroots organizations agree to denounce this policy of accommodation in thermometer 
and indecent housing conditions, the state itself is deaf and continuing effects of ads. 
For if the state knows communicate it remains unclear to count. In November 4000 the 
creation of places of accommodation and emergency places CADA 4000 is announced. But 
facing the estimated 150,000 homeless · e · s by associations, the account is still there. 
Especially if the State does not respond to requests and visibilisées by the work of 
grassroots organizations, it is not ready to acknowledge the existence of people who 
require more help anyone and those that will be expelled · e · s from their homes this 
year because they can not pay their rent. In 2012, 80% of requests for accommodation have 
not received a favorable response. There was 37% increase in requests for emergency 
shelter. So we know who will pay the high price of austerity undertaken by the State.



 Hide this misery I can not see



That means tolerating a social situation where 13% of the population lives endessous the 
poverty line? While there is no doubt that this is the expression of acute capitalist 
system, a producer of economic inequality and social misery, the State says is its share 
of social responsibilities. Is looking closely are those most affected by poverty and 
homelessness that we understand who benefits from state regulation. The lack of housing is 
one of the earliest markers of vulnerability. In France, 10 million people live in poverty 
vis-à-vis housing 3.6 million have no housing or living in poor housing conditions or 
unhealthy. 80 \% of homes are available from private park, the hotel owners are warm and 
collect rents increasingly indecent. The sacrosanct right to property which we are always 
hearing justify higher rents that never ends. While most of us are forced to lower their 
threshold of comfort, reduce energy expenditure or food, another part of the population 
must resign themselves to live in basements, car parks, cars or campsites before - 
exhausted from not being able to make ends meet - call social services or charities.



If associations have fought for the right to housing Opposable, the reality is far 
gargling politicians. The shortage of housing is such that waiting several months or even 
years to be counted in the Paris region. Bureaucratization of the law in fact excludes 
thousands of people unable to exercise their right in this well-oiled machine. Besides 
those who are legally excluded undocumented. There would be a deficit of 970,000 social 
housing units accumulated since 1970. This is a consequence of the policy of the state in 
promoting private rental investment, gives pride of place to homeownership. Thus the state 
regulates comes to who he wants and who submits to his whim. The prefect of the 
Haute-Garonne did not err in stating, during an eviction of CREA, " when the group does  
not want to work with us, we do  not work with them . " AERC wanted nothing the State and 
the feeling is mutual. But do not be fooled the good intentions of the latter when he 
appears, because he prefers to tell the typical profile of the person in the street, "SDF" 
is the "tramp" associal and alcohol, which at the bottom, is satisfied with his situation 
because he rejects the more society that society rejects. Whereas today, it is isolated 
men but also, and mainly, families, single women or their children, honest applicant · · 
s-seekers, undocumented immigrants seeking accommodation. In several departments women 
make up more than half of the requests for accommodation in general it is an emergency or 
not. Among them, women victims of domestic violence, including those who lose their right 
to stay. Generally those that the State leaves the street are persons to whom it refuses 
to grant any right (stay at RSA ...). The state creates its own misery while maintaining a 
semblance of social policy he hastens to pervert. Thus, it requires shelters it funds 
budget injunctions, encouraging them to accommodate people who have the financial 
resources to reduce state involvement in the operation. Centers are tempted to accommodate 
more people "solvent" in order to balance their budget. Even though the audience they are 
aimed precisely those without resources, they are left at the door because they have no 
resources. Financial logic prevails and corrupt system which fortunately not everyone is 
fooled.



Take his business hand, do not count on the government to ensure its daily, this is what 
collectives chose honest squatter · · s or requisitions throughout France and elsewhere. 
If it is for many of them a non-option and the only way to have a roof, the price of a 
perpetual battle against state repression, only the requisition of housing organized by 
people concerned remains effective and legitimate.



" The freedoms are not given, they

take , "P. Kropotkin



LB - Albert Camus Group

CGA Toulouse
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