Paris: they don't want huge Beaubourg-style pipes in their apartments

“It's Beaubourg here now!

indignant Jean-Paul, a long-time tenant.

They made us the Georges-Pompidou center in our apartments.

Have you seen these pipes?

Their dimension?

It crosses my hallway, my kitchen, my bathroom… ”At the HLM Contenot-Decaen housing estate, located in the Daumesnil district (Paris 12th century) and which includes 474 housing units, the residents“ went up like cuckoos ”.

The City of Paris, a pioneer in the fight against global warming with its Territorial Climate Energy Plan (PCET) set up in 2005, has tackled the insulation of its old HLM heritage.

And intends to renovate a million homes by 2050.

"If it weren't so pathetic, because in the end it's just for a small CMV, I'd be kidding," says a resident.

LP / Celine Carez  

The Contenot-Decaen group, built in the 1950s and a veritable thermal strainer, is obviously one of them.

The work program launched in recent months, in several installments, is the insulation of the exterior walls, the renovation of the apartments, the change of windows, ventilation, reinforced doors ...

READ ALSO>

Rehabilitation of HLMs in Paris: tenants denounce botched work

“We were in agreement with all this, concedes Sophie, tenant.

We mostly voted in favor. ”

“We said to ourselves that, in these poorly insulated old buildings, we would be less cold in winter and less hot in summer,” continues Jean-Paul.

That our electricity bills would go down. ”

"On the other hand, tackle Nadia, Paris Habitat and Bouygues did not tell us that, for the CMVs, they would install pipes that would disfigure our apartments and cut away so much space."

Newsletter The essential of 75

A tour of the news in Paris and in the IDF

Subscribe to the newsletterAll newsletters

Louis, another tenant, illustrates this by showing a VMC formwork which occupies more than a cubic meter in his apartment.

“And again, the workers ate half of my closet.

On the right, the coats, on the left, the pipes!

If it weren't so pathetic, because in the end it's just for a small CMV, I'd be kidding. "

This cupboard which occupies nearly a cubic meter, removed from the surface of the apartment, serves as formwork for the pipes of the VMC.LP / Céline Carez  

The damage sometimes goes beyond a “simple” pipe running through a corridor.

"Me, they broke the tiles in my kitchen to get their pipes through," laments Jeannine, 71 years old.

They are making holes everywhere. ”

“When I discovered my apartment at the end of the day, I hallucinated, remembers Jean-Paul.

I don't know anything about building, but I saw that there was a lizard. ”

A wind of concern and revolt then arose in rue Claude-Descaen.

Residents alerted the lessor;

Emmanuelle Pierre-Marie, the mayor (EELV) of the 12th century;

Anne Hidalgo, the mayor (PS) of Paris;

the latter's Housing Assistant, Ian Brossat (PCF).

“In vain, regrets Sophie.

We launched a petition against the imposing VMC which collected 230 signatures. ”

Their “anti-VMC collective” knocked on the door of the Confederation of Consumer Affairs, Housing and Living Conditions (CLCV).

“At first, I wondered if Paris Habitat was aware of the surreal dimension of these pipes, if it was following the site well.

I was in a state of dumbfoundedness, ”recalls Jacques Anding, representative of the CLCV who is handling the case.

“This story is all the more ridiculous as, during a meeting in 2014 at Paris Habitat, an audit revealed that

the operation of natural ventilation is potentially sufficient

.

But in this group of buildings, all the water features have windows ”, supports the defender of tenants,

In recent days, the most rebels have decided to deny workers access to their apartments.

Paris habitat responded by sending them a registered letter, "experienced by the tenants as a threat," Camille indignantly.

"These boondoggles lead to delays and costs"

In the 12th century town hall, Valérie Montandon, elected (LR) who follows these HLM projects and intervened at the Paris Council on problems caused once again by the Climate Plan of the neighboring group of buildings, accuses Paris Habitat of "applying protocol without thinking.

There is a problem in the management and monitoring of renovation works related to the PCET.

And a lack of respect for tenants, especially older ones.

In addition, these boondoggles cause delays and costs. ”

The tenants of Cité Contenot-Decaen have an appointment with the landlord on March 9.

LP / Celine Carez  

At Paris habitat, we defend ourselves.

“The VMC ensures the renewal of the air and the evacuation of the stale air, as well as of the humidity.

With the thermal insulation and the replacement of the windows which reinforce the tightness of the buildings, the VMC regulates the flow of entry and exit of the air according to the humidity.

Kind of like lungs.

Without VMC, the air is not renewed correctly and generates condensation which deteriorates the paints, plasters, insulation and causes respiratory or even allergic pathologies. "

To extinguish the slingshot of Beaubourg pipes in the city of Contenot-Decaen (12th century), the lessor has scheduled a meeting on March 9 with the “rebels”.