“If the center opens, I plan to move
,” warns Audrey. With signs in hand, residents of the Custine Clignancourt Doudeauville district, located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, demonstrated this Thursday evening in front of the location of the future Reception and Support Center for Risk Reduction for Drug Users ( CAARUD). Their concern relates in particular to the location of this center, which will be located only 60 meters from a middle school and an elementary school, as well as near a nursery, they say.
“There are a lot of
children passing through ,
”
laments Audrey, a resident of this family-friendly and rather chic 18th century neighborhood.
“Our children are old enough to be independent, but now we will no longer let them come home from school alone
,” she continues.
The very recent announcement of the opening of this medical-social establishment at the beginning of next April is driving the residents of the neighborhood crazy. Authorized and financed by the State, via the Regional Health Agency (ARS), this CAARUD is managed by the Aurore association, which supports people in precarious situations towards autonomy. In reality, the center already existed but was located about a hundred meters further than the planned new location. It must now be installed on the ground floor of a private residential building, under a private lease.
However, the co-owners and residents were only informed of this installation on March 15, even though the work had started several months ago.
“Normally, to open this kind of place, there must be a consultation a year before with local residents
,” assures Audrey. Contacted by
Le Figaro
, the director of the Aurore association, Florian Guyot, explains that he is only the tenant of the center, and that this consultation process is the responsibility of the owner, a real estate company (SCI).
“As soon as we were able to have access to the premises and we had visibility on the opening, we conventionally went to warn our neighbors”
two weeks ago, indicates Florian Guyot.
A simple “medical center” mentioned at the start
“When the work was voted on at the general meeting, the owners were not clear on the subject, because the co-owners would certainly have said no
,” explains Bastien, a resident of the neighborhood. The co-owners asked multiple times what type of business was going to be set up on the ground floor, but the owner remained very vague, referring to
“a medical center”
, reports a co-owner.
“The withholding of information clearly shows that they know that there is a problem with this type of activity
,” underlines Martial, another co-owner.
Determined to prevent the center from opening, the co-owners and residents created the Custine-Clignancourt-Doudeauville collective, then launched a petition, which currently has more than 1000 signatures. On March 25, the collective also sent
a letter to the Prime Minister
. This family neighborhood is already facing other problems, such as the passage of certain drug addicts, but especially that of prostitutes.
“We’re like a small village, we help each other with this
,” says Audrey. Since the closure of the old CAARUD in a neighboring street,
“the neighborhood is cleaning up
,” says Bastien. It is also not known as an anchor point for drug addicts.
“We are afraid that it will become so”
, fears Romain, father of a family and co-owner in the targeted building.
This premises, which will make it possible to accommodate people in very precarious circumstances, to support them and provide them with care with the help of psychologists, could, according to local residents, become a shooting room in the long term.
“This is what is clearly going to happen, it is their vocation
,” fears Marion. The director of the Aurore association denies:
“the CAARUDs are another type of establishment”. “The site is not organized for”
, and
“
consumption
is not authorized there”
, he insists.
“No one answered our questions”
Faced with the fears of neighborhood residents, the association organized an information meeting on March 20, during which
“there were quite violent verbal exchanges
,” reveals Martial. Present were the deputy mayor of the 18th arrondissement of Paris, the Aurore association, the LFI deputy for the eighteenth district of Paris Aymeric Caron, the ARS, the police, the parents' association of the college located nearby, as well as local residents.
“No one answered our questions, they answered side by side
,” breathes Marion.
“Everything is very opaque
,” Bastien despairs. The public authorities installed a center
“without any preliminary analysis of the neighborhood or impact studies
,” Romain still criticizes.
There are 18 centers like this in the Île-de-France region, and
“nearby, there are also schools
,” says the director of the association.
“We rely above all on the similar experience and equipment of other associations
,” he continues.
If there were any incident with a drug addict, what would the association do?, local residents also wonder. The response, again, was not satisfactory, reports Sophie, a resident of the neighborhood.
“It’s really a concern
,” admits the director, who nevertheless wants to be reassuring. A team of at least three people will be present in the center
“permanently”
and street teams
“will ensure the proper integration of the center into the neighborhood
,” he continues. A telephone number will also be made available to local residents and can be reached at any time, he adds. Finally,
“we have a very close relationship with the police station, which aims to make public security and public health complementary
,” underlines Florian Guyot.
The latter fully intends to open the center. He indicates that regular follow-up meetings with local residents have been proposed by the town hall, and that he fully agrees on this subject. Joined by
Le
Figaro,
the Paris town hall, for its part, assures support of the project:
“The City will continue discussions with residents, as last week’s public meeting attests
. ”