The right-wing majority Senate adopted on Tuesday at first reading, in a stormy atmosphere, a LR bill aimed at strengthening the means to fight against squats, the left opposing it
"the reality of poor housing"
.
Read also: Misconception: "It takes several months to evict a squatter"
This text, which follows several highly publicized cases, including that of Théoule-sur-Mer this summer or more recently that of Petit-Cambodge, however, has little chance of prospering, having received an
"unfavorable" opinion
from the government. .
The Minister in charge of Housing Emmanuelle Wargon judged
“not opportune to modify the balance”
found in the Asap law (acceleration and simplification of public action), even though it
“has just entered into force”
.
She indicated that a circular specifying the conditions for implementing anti-squat procedures,
"for the attention of those working in the field"
, would be released
"in the next few days"
.
The bill brought by the senator of the Alpes-Maritimes Dominique Estrosi Sassone increases the penalties incurred in the event of home invasion, bringing them to three years' imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros.
This provision, passed in the Asap law, was censured by the Constitutional Council as a
legislative
“rider”
.
It is the only article of the text that has received government approval.
"Things must change because the home squat and the denial of justice that accompanies it is extremely violent for the victims"
, pleaded Dominique Estrosi Sassone.
"Fraudulent occupation of building"
The bill also creates
"an offense of fraudulent occupation of building"
, beyond the sole domicile, punishable by one year of imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros.
Particularly contested on the left, it provides for an additional penalty to deprive the squatter of the benefit of the right to enforceable housing.
For Dominique Estrosi Sassone, it is
"to prevent the squat from becoming a sort of skip-the-line"
to benefit from rehousing.
But for Emmanuelle Wargon, it is
"a red line"
.
On the left, Hussein Bourgi (PS) denounced
"a sentence that looks like relentlessness"
and
"a factory for repeat offenders"
.
The text opens the rapid forced evacuation procedure to all premises for residential use and creates a fine sanctioning the distribution of
"instructions"
for the squat.
On this last point, the Law Commission took care to
"preserve the freedom of expression of associations fighting against poor housing"
, underlined the rapporteur Henri Leroy (LR).
