TESTIMONY
Christine has lived in Paris for twelve years, in an insanitary accommodation under the roofs which quickly deteriorated because of the ambient humidity. The dilapidation of his apartment is such that it causes him health problems. Despite numerous appeals to different authorities, Christine does not manage to be relocated and her lawsuit with her owner drags on. At the microphone of "La Libre antenne", on Europe 1, Christine asks Olivier Delacroix for advice to resolve her situation.
>> Listen to Christine's testimony in full here
"I live in Paris. I rent a service room under a roof in a Haussmannian building. I live in a slum. There is mold on the walls. The place is degraded due to the age, the facilities out of the ordinary 1960s and wear and tear. My bathroom and kitchen have not been in operation for five years. Repairs have been made, but instead of fixing things, it made them worse. I have lived in this apartment for twelve years.
It is the only apartment in the building that has deteriorated to this point because it is a very narrow gable. It is only 2.20 meters wide by 7 meters. There is a very high humidity which permeated this accommodation which was not insulated properly. There are fumes coming up from the pipes. I had a hemorrhage in one eye because of it. The apartments below are very beautiful and the rent costs 3,000 euros per month.
" I am being punished because I ended up complaining "It is a private apartment in a Haussmannian building and the entire building belongs to one person. I have been on trial with the owner of the building for two years. This trial will continue for a long time because the court is very crowded. The previous owners brought in technical directors of the building. They reacted very quickly when we had a problem. The new owner has deleted this position.
Now, when we call for help, it is the managers who have to go. They are not necessarily on the ground. I clearly think people want to tire me out. I have been paying 420 euros in rent for many years. If I leave, the apartment will be rented more expensive. I think I am being punished because I ended up complaining. My lawyer said, "We are made clear that the work will be done when you break down."
" I am not rehoused because I have no children "For five years I have been asking the administration of the city of Paris, which is in charge of relocating people, to get me out of there. I also request it from the town hall of my district. I discovered that I was not rehoused because I have no children. By dint of searching, I realized that single people are not relocated. We leave them as outcasts. There is a point system for allocating accommodation. If you have a child, you have more points.
I resorted to DALO (Right to opposable housing) which allows to find a solution to be accommodated. It was rejected. I asked the highest mediation bodies and it didn't do anything either. I contacted the Ministry of Health who sent me to the ARS (Regional Health Agency). I managed to reach someone who requested a second inspection of the apartment. A first inspection had been made in 2015 and had given nothing. The second inspection did not yield anything either.
>> Find Olivier Delacroix's Free Antenna in replay and podcast here
Because of the ambient humidity, my social worker had her nose and eyes so itchy that she could not take more than 14 minutes to report. This was not taken into account. My dream is to get out of here. I am so exhausted. I'm surrounded everywhere and I can't find a solution. "