Twenty-one thousand five hundred households were evicted from their homes by the police in 2023, indicates the Ministry of Housing in response to requests from the World. Their number increased by 23% compared to 2022, which was already a record year. And at the end of the winter break – which, each year, suspends rental evictions from 1er November to March 31 inclusive – the Abbé Pierre Foundation and many associations fear that the year 2024 will be marked by a new increase.
To fully understand, we need to go back in time. In 1983, there were 3,000 forced evictions, seven times fewer. A first historic peak was reached in 2019, with 16,700 households forced onto the street, mainly due to unpaid rent. During the 2020 health crisis, the government extended the winter break until July 10, and asked prefects “not to resort to public force without rehousing solutions”, by providing the means to compensate the owners. That year, forced evictions were halved. Since then, they have reached new records, but the Ministry of Housing wishes to emphasize that the annual average over the period 2020-2022 remains lower than the 2019 record. “We pursue a proactive policy to prevent unpaid debts and a firm policy to enforce court decisions”he argues.
“I am very shocked to learn that 21,500 households were forcibly evictedreacts the general delegate of the Abbé Pierre Foundation, Christophe Robert. We can clearly see that a catch-up of the evictions not carried out in 2020 and 2021 is at work, while the government could choose to avoid part of it, by compensating the owners. »
“This law makes us delinquents”
Only the number of evictions involving the police is now made public, whereas until 2019, the figures for court decisions and end of proceedings were also published. “140,000 people on average each year are forced to leave their homes due to unpaid rent”, estimates a ministerial instruction of November 23, 2023, cited by the Abbé Pierre Foundation. And several signals point to further increases. Low-income households have been particularly affected by inflation, while the reform of housing assistance has often been unfavorable to them.
In addition, the Kasbarian-Bergé law, which entered into force in July 2023, accelerated eviction procedures, reduced the possibility for the judge to grant deadlines for payment and remaining in the premises, and divided these deadlines by three . “This law makes us delinquents”, also protested Sonia, a mother threatened with eviction by a slumlord, during a press conference of the Right to Housing association. She was referring to the fact that tenants who remain in their accommodation following the eviction procedure have become liable to a fine of 7,500 euros. “The expulsion will destroy my family lifeadded with bitterness this tenant who should nevertheless be rehoused by the State, since she has been recognized as a priority under the enforceable right to housing (DALO). Social services are not doing their job. The working class no longer has its place in society. »
You have 42.34% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.