Jean Castex went marauding the streets of Paris on Thursday 11 February at the sides of a Samu Social team, in order to offer accommodation places to the homeless who, for some and despite the freezing cold, declined.
"
We are opening additional accommodation places ... but they still have to want to go
", summarizes the Prime Minister.
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Wrapped up in a black coat, gray cap on his head snatched from the Minister of Housing Emmanuelle Wargon, Jean Castex stamps his feet to try to mitigate the bite of the frost which has gripped the capital for a few days, to the point of declaring the "
extreme cold plan
" in several departments.
Under the bus shelter served by line 80, a chilled and curled up man, suitcase on wheels and crutches by his side, has just accepted a warm place in a hotel.
“
Finally one!
»Exclaims Jean Castex.
Previously, this one had two refusals.
First, these two young men lying at the foot of the “Le Bon Marché” store, a few strides from Matignon.
Blue down pulled up to the chin, they say yes to the steaming soup, but decline emergency accommodation.
"
All night long, the cold will get even stronger
", pleads Jean Castex.
But they would prefer a "
stable
"
situation
, hope to find "
a job and a home
", and after a few minutes of palaver, let the white van stamped with the Samu social move away.
“
They are often damaged people, sometimes the answer they are offered is not the one they want.
And at one point, maybe it's too exhausting to go back and forth
”between the street and homes, underlines Emmanuelle Wargon.
According to her, 614 additional places were opened in Paris this week but only 522 were occupied Wednesday evening.
Places remain unfilled, as in this Ibis hotel in Gentilly where the man from the bus shelter is finally taken.
Forty rooms are open for emergency accommodation, but only 30 were occupied by 11:00 p.m.
The Samu social teams will therefore turn a good part of the night to fill them.
"
But one of the risks with extreme cold are the invisible, people who never call
," recalls Alain Christnacht, president of Samu Social.