(en) France, Courant Alternatif CA #226 - HOUSING: Against the case of the social workers and users solidarity! + The case of CREA TOULOUSE

What is commonly called the housing crisis is, for some time, the headlines. Year after 
year, the situation deteriorates. Every year, the arrival of winter, the media is 
concerned about the plight of the homeless. Therefore, it would be more tolerable fault a
person dies outside housing the summer rather than the winter? No one knows. Still, there
are more homeless people who die in the summer than the winter. ---- This year, the 
situation is particularly aggravated. In most cities, there are more and more families are 
finding no emergency shelter to house them. There are several reasons behind this 
situation. The main cause is the development of poverty, unemployment and rising rents, 
the price of fluids (gas, electricity, water). Thus the number of evictions and housing 
increases access to an apartment becomes no more difficult or impossible for many.

The social sector has undergone major changes in recent years. Whereas previously it was 
in general, associations were proposals to funders (government, local authorities ...) 
depending on the needs they were documenting, now it is the authorities who make bids 
which meet associations. The social sector has become a market-based competition laws. For 
example, a prefecture decided to open spaces for families to prevent them end up on the 
streets after eviction from their homes. Departmental Directorate of Social Cohesion 
(formerly DDCS DDASS) launches this offer with specifications. Different associations will 
respond. The cost will be much more likely to be successful, even if it offers operation 
does not meet the rights and dignity of future residents.

Implementation of actions is increasingly dependent on political decisions makers. It is 
clear that the policies they implement are not based on social needs, but on conceptions 
imposed by the capitalist system. It is not intended to address the issue of poverty, but
rather to promote the gap between rich and poor. This inevitably leads to the 
impoverishment of large segments of the population. From this point of view, here as 
elsewhere, the continuity of the right and Goche is not to demonstrate

Policy "Housing First" is set up by the Secretary of State for Housing Fillon government 
also contributes. It was negotiated with FNARS (The National Federation of Home and 
reintegration). It brings together most of the associations involved in the social sector. 
In fact it is a federation of employers. ? under cover work for the autonomy of 
individuals, this policy is to promote access to housing or shelter people in apartments 
managed by associations. For it is not a demagogic speech, it would have easier access to
housing that was not the case. The objective of this policy is to reduce the budgets 
allocated to CHRS (Centre accommodation and reintegration). Indeed, if people have access
to housing, we can reduce the CHRS places. These are homes where people are housed, fed 
and social support being put in place for residents to meet their social and able to live
normally in a housing and having resources.

Overall, the social sector is in the process of undergoing restructuring. There are 
approximately 40,000 associations active in the social field (any size confused thousands
of employees to ten). Under the Sarkozy presidency, the state wanted to reduce to 6000 by
promoting the consolidation of associations or ? absorption of smaller by larger. The 
government estimates that there are too many contacts and he prefers to negotiate with 
larger associations are generally more managers. To say that the smaller ones are 
activists, there is a step that I not cross. The essential goal is to reduce the costs of
the social sector. Again, the arrival in power of Holland has not challenged this policy 
choice.

Faced with this situation, several lines of struggle can be advanced. First requisitions 
empty slots. As a material point of view that a legal standpoint, there is no problem for
them to be taken. There are enough empty housing to meet the needs. Three texts provide 
the possibility of requisitioning: the 1945, the Besson law (by the now infamous) of 1998
(passed under the Jospin government but politicians and right Goche refused to apply). 
Often mayors say they can commandeer housing, and this is only the power of the prefect. 
But the mayor "has ... ... a power of requisition, even if it is not subject to any 
specific text. It is under its general police powers that can then be led to adopt a 
measure of requisition. Although rarely implemented, municipal requisitions are a 
manifestation of traditional police powers of the Mayor (Council of State, April 1, 1960,
Lady Rousseau Council of State, 11 December 1991, the Company HLM PMQ Paris Basin). The 
power to requisition the Mayor may have very diverse objects because it can be extended to 
all goods and all services whose use is necessary to maintain public order, that is to 
say, to ensure the good order, safety, security and public safety. It is for this reason 
that the mayor may be led to commandeer a home. "(The mayor's powers regarding requisition 
of housing, Olivier Hermabessi?re, Journal of Mayors, January 2005) This power of 
requisition mayor relies on Article L. 2212-2 of the General Code of Territorial.

The squat is also a solution. But we must know what we are talking about. In many cities,
there are squats that are tolerated by the authorities. They are system D. In fact these 
are people who open empty houses, quietly. In some cities, municipal and social services 
are aware of the situation. Municipal police runs regularly reports on the people who live 
there. As long as people do not disturb the neighbors and do not claim anything, they are
left alone. It is also a way to reduce pressure on emergency services. By cons, if 
squatters open a place for activists in general the reaction is fast enough and strong: 
the steps are taken to expel them under the guise of defending the right of ownership 
after the Second World War, we can say that 'there was a housing crisis because of the 
housing shortage because of the destruction caused by the war and the lack of construction 
during the period between the two wars. But now, we are not in this situation, quite the 
contrary. If human beings are on the streets it is only due to policy choices or rather 
choice of companies. We are faced with a choice:

? ? whether it is private property prevails. Must therefore assume that more and more men, 
women and children have only the sky for a roof and there are dead in the streets

? ? whether it is human life prevails, we must address the private ownership and advocate
for the free housing

The second line of struggle for more social workers. He is fighting for the respect of 
human dignity users. In advancing this claim, there is a strong link between housing 
conditions of households resident and working conditions of employees working in them. Can 
hope to break the corporatism and especially create a convergence of interests. Residents
are no longer viewed as persons to attend, but as individuals fighting for their rights as 
well as employees struggle to improve their working conditions. When you look at the 
legislation in force, it is quite possible that no one is on the street against her will.

Some examples.

* In February 2012, the Council of State, in a judgment, established the right to housing
as a fundamental freedom. This means that any person calling 115 must be hosted the same 
evening.

* In many emergency shelters, the number of nights is limited, which is illegal. Code of 
Social Action and Family states that "any person accommodated in a structure of emergency
must receive a personalized and remain ... until its orientation is proposed ... to a 
shelter or stable or care to housing ... '

* Every woman has at least one child under 3 years must be supported by the Social 
Assistance for Children, which depends on the General Council, as required by the Code of
Social Action and Family. So if it is on the street, it must be hosted with his children.

* The Council of State in 3 stops states that the State is obliged to provide 
accommodation, food and raiment for all asylum seekers. For example, the prefecture of the 
Central Region has imposed an emergency totally illegal. After 7 nights they are out on 
the street if the prefectural authorities decide.

If the state law applied to enforce it is supposed to, nobody would remain in the street 
against her will. This applies to local authorities, including councils and mayors.

One might expect that employers associations can hear this claim. This is not the case. I
must say they have some leeway increasingly reduced. Previously, the State gave an overall 
envelope for each association. She was doing to manage developing or not such action 
against or in favor of another. She was accountable for its activity once a year. Now, 
there has been a management action. Without going into details, Europe imposed by BOP 
management (operational budget of the program). This means that every action of an 
association is funded specifically: such as budget place in CHRS, another for 115, etc.. 
So these are the financiers who decide more action and development associations. Blackmail 
the state funding is increasingly strong. Each association is trying to preserve its 
nearly square. Competition between them becomes increasingly fierce.

Faced with their unwillingness to confront the state and other funders, they are in a 
strong position and impose their choices. It is very curious, for example, that FNARS 
speaks almost no respect for the rights of the users, at least not in practice. It is 
limited to requesting accommodation places and additional resources, without discussing 
the content and quality of actions. However, one of the functions of these associations 
and workers is to acquaint users and thus help them to make. Usually the opposite happens.

Tours, for example, 14 referrals were won against the prefecture over the accommodation of 
asylum seekers. The DDCS has demanded that turns a local families hosted emergency leave 
room for the families who had their rights. Similarly, associations, always Tours (one may 
think that this situation is not very original), prefer to rent a room in a hotel infamous 
rather than rent housing. A room costs between 850 and 1000 ? per month, while housing 
costs about 400 ?.

This aberration logic. On the one hand, it is easier to transfer people from a hotel room
accommodation (for the latter, then begin an interim which can be costly and time 
consuming if the family has a good lawyer) . On the other hand, it is necessary that 
housing conditions are spartan to avoid intake of air, especially for people of foreign 
origin. It is intentionally that creates the conditions for survival harder in the hope of 
removing the desire to come to France. This contributes to violate the right of asylum and 
undermine the Geneva Convention.

This logic is affecting more and more people and not just people of foreign origin, as 
shown in the daily situation where thousands of people remain outside, or the stress of 
eviction from their homes. The claims of a housing for all and respect for the dignity and 
rights of individuals are elements which allow control to highlight contradictions 
emanating from the State. Thus, we can partially open fractures that could affect the 
foundations of bourgeois society, as private property, think and act for the respect of 
our dignity. Institutions of that society can not and do not want to. Our lives are more 
important than their profits!

JC


The case of CREA Toulouse Repression and communication: how not to solve the housing 
problem while waving


Requisition is in fashion at the highest peak of the state, Goche intends to hear his 
difference on the "File" emergency housing. It is clear, you can feel the difference; 
evictions socialists are so much more friendly! Toulouse as a laboratory for social 
housing policy that does not change by putting the means.

Campaign Requisition Mutual Aid and Self-Management [1] holds for more than one year in 
Toulouse. The goal is to stay between people galley by the requisition of vacant housing.
So simple that the government wants to get it over with quickly. It seems that Hall and 
prefecture have implemented a two-pronged strategy. On the one hand, to show the muscles 
with evictions unfold completely disproportionate means and secondly to enable the front 
housing to cut the grass under the feet of the campaign.

Act 1: Repression

Nearly 300 CRS, a helicopter, specialized units ... It took the world to end the 
occupation of 5000m2 URSSAF which have not been occupied for a few weeks, just take the 
time to enjoy these new premises need decamping. The blow was hard and he had made any 
attempt to flatten response. Justice had already opened a new technique to deny that the 
occupations of CREA for housing. Therefore, they are more homes and, with this little find 
legal legal deadlines before expulsion from one to two months to two days! It is 
exhausting forces campaign leaving him no time to ask. The scandal is that, for power, the 
implementation of solutions without any state intervention can not last. Yet membership 
campaign that could get especially among social workers demand an answer a little more 
elaborate. Those will have to use CREA to resolve the situation of people who come to see
and it starts to come out. If we begin to understand that the housing issue can be 
resolved simply by requisitions, it will get messy.

2nd Act: Communication

The symbol of this strategy is probably the opening of a "night halt" [2] in the premises
of CREA first [3]. The prefect himself has recently opened without any serious development 
is done (the window of the facade are still bricked!). It is especially not lend the blank 
critics when it was a promise he had made at the time of the expulsion in August. From 
that moment, it was felt that the prefecture had turned the corner by attacking the front
of the CREA project. It was just that "force is the law" but to demonstrate that 
attempting to solve the housing problem by requisitions, squatters did anything. Now two 
political projects that clash: organize misery preserving private property or resolve the
housing problem by attacking. Since the government has allocated Ayrault for emergency 
housing at the national level, announced premiere in Toulouse, this would double the 
accommodation places relative to last year [4]. In addition, there are regular meetings 
with leaders of social work. In the end it all comes to the same conclusion: there is a 
lack of places and people remain homeless. It lacks, despite all these "efforts" 170 
places emergency shelter. A burst of energy for not much really.

= full expulsion occupations

Campaign now finds itself multiplied occupations. There are nearly 10 houses that were 
open most Bonnefoy in the neighborhood, not far from the station. The location is not 
innocent: this area is soon to be the target of a major project. Progress looks as a 
high-speed rail link. This will tell you if we do not care, but many years ago that the 
government and the local bourgeoisie is the dream of a cradle quick accessibility to the 
capital. Toulouse is too enclosed, inaccessible handicapped in the race for the shallot 
metropolisation. The challenge for the CREA, is to link the struggle for housing with the
broader issue of the development of the city. Except that the project, if a lot about him, 
not yet concrete consistency. We know that the City of arm to preempt that expropriations
must take place on the grip but nothing final about the content of the project. It is 
possible that squats already expelled all, do not fall within the temporality of the 
project. On the other hand the fact of occupying small houses belonging to private 
multiplies court procedures and use of force. In fact, this campaign seems less publicly,
missing a place of convergence and visibility to enable it to mobilize accordingly and 
found a little circuit. CREA is in a moment a little tricky with respect to the dynamics 
of the last winter [5] but this should not obscure that it is always close to 200 people 
are housed requisitions popular and the collective in doing more a dozen places occupied.

Rico, Toulouse.

1. The Collective for the requisition and mutual self has changed all that with such and 
became CREA or Campaign Requisition for Mutual and Self-Management Campaign ... to go 
fast. 2. A night halt without sleeping accommodation is remaining open all night to 
distribute hot drinks and allow to sit for hot overnight or a few hours and he must leave
at dawn. 3. The first 70 went to CREA damsels in Toulouse was held more than one year and
expelled at the end of August 2012. 4. For the record, the envelope for the Midi-Pyr?n?es
region of 650,000 euros and wheelbarrows, not even three weeks of intervention NDDL. No 
doubt about it on the priorities of the socialist state. 5. See CA No. 221 of June 2012