A young person in his apartment in Paris in January 2021. -

Gabrielle CEZARD / SIPA

  • The Abbé-Pierre Foundation report made public on Monday shows that since the start of the health crisis, some French people have had more difficulty paying their rent.

  • The consequences of an economic crisis can sometimes be measured years later, the Foundation fears an explosion in unpaid rent, which could lead to rental explosions.

Keep a roof over your head at all costs.

The more the country sinks into the economic crisis, the more numerous are those who fear not to achieve it, as underlined by the report on the poor housing of the Abbé-Pierre Foundation released on Monday.

An even greater concern on the eve of a potential third confinement, which could shake the French economy even more.

Because if the unpaid rents do not explode yet, the bomb could be ticking, according to Manuel Domergue, director of studies at the Abbé-Pierre Foundation: “We saw it with the financial crisis of 2008. The unpaid n ' not necessarily arrive in a few months.

Previously, people had recourse to several solutions: they stagger the payment of rent, take on their savings, deprive themselves of other items of expenditure or are helped by their relatives ”.

"They know too well to what extent housing is the last bulwark that must fall," adds Christophe Robert, general delegate of the Abbé-Pïerre Foundation.

"We are at the start of a major wave"

According to Manuel Domergue, "we are at the start of a major wave".

Because at the end of October, public landlords were already recording an increase of 65 million euros in unpaid rents compared to February 2020, according to figures from the Social Union for Housing.

The Adil (Departmental Agency

i

nformation on

the

ccommodation) also recorded a 47% increase consultations for unpaid by tenants of private park in December 2020 compared to 2019. Another indicator: "L'Espace Solidarité Habitat the Abbé-Pierre Foundation in Paris received in the fall of 2020 households rushed into eviction procedures due to unpaid debts accumulated from the first confinement, ”informs Christophe Robert.

And the projections are not optimistic, because according to an Ipsos * survey for the Abbé-Pierre Foundation published on Monday, 32% of French people fear they will not be able to pay their rent in 2021.

The profile of the people concerned has widened: “There are the precarious fringes of the salaried workforce: fixed-term contracts, temporary workers, trainees, temporary workers, intermittent entertainment workers, apprentices, but also the unemployed, those who have undeclared work ... between them already had pre-existing debts that widened due to lockdowns and the deterioration of their income.

But there are also the new poor: autoentrepreneurs, artisans, traders, people working in events, catering or even construction, who have suffered a drastic reduction in their activity since March.

Many of these households face the first unpaid rent of their life, ”notes Manuel Domergue.

A mission on the prevention of evictions

Behind the worry of an accumulation of unpaid bills, there is another danger: the risk of expulsion.

Last year, “only” 3,500 evictions took place thanks to the extension of the winter break until July 10 and thanks to a circular asking the prefects that the evictions be backed up by housing proposals.

Usually, they are in the order of 16,000.

A figure that could grow if the government does not take action to prevent them.

Faced with this situation, the rental solidarity funds (FSL), managed by the departments, help tenants.

“But they have limited funds.

And their resources are unequal according to the departments, ”explains Manuel Domergue.

Several social landlords have also committed, within the framework of a charter signed on May 4, 2020, to propose staggered payments of rents and charges.

On the government side, a parliamentary information mission

on the

"Prevention of rental evictions" was entrusted to Nicolas Démoulin, LREM deputy for Hérault, by the Prime Minister.

Insufficient, Christophe Robert judge: "We have the impression that the government is waiting for an explosion of unpaid bills to be able to act," he believes.

According to him, we must intervene from the first unpaid debts and now.

"We are proposing the creation of a fund to help pay rents and charges which would be endowed with a minimum of 200 million euros."

An idea that has not yet been adopted by the government.

Economy

Coronavirus: Aid of 900 euros for seasonal workers, a real boost or "announcement effect"?

Society

Poverty: Why is the situation of 18-24 year olds worrying?

* Survey conducted online from January 14 to 15, 2021 on a sample of 1,000 people representative of French society, using the quota method.

  • Abbe pierre foundation

  • Poverty

  • Society

  • Bad housing