A demonstration to demand the creation of additional emergency accommodation places on Friday evening at Place du Capitole (read our edition of December 4) failed to accommodate 39 homeless people including 23 children who were sleeping in the street in Toulouse. With the Right to Housing Association (DAL), several organizations such as the Federation of Parents’ Councils, the Education Without Borders Network, the Human Rights League, Utopia 56 and the Circle of Neighbors, have decided to ” occupy the first floor of the Saint-Sernin gymnasium, at the request of families.

Appeal to public authorities

After a first night in the shelter, a rally developed this Saturday afternoon facing the Saint-Sernin basilica to ask the public authorities to find a solution.
“When we ask the town hall, we answer that it is the responsibility of the State but the prefecture does not meet the necessary means to support these families”, notes a member of the DAL. “We ask everyone to take their responsibilities and open emergency accommodation that is sorely lacking in the Toulouse metropolis. The 115 teams must also be reinforced ”.

On the street with three children

Behind these administrative inconsistencies lie human tragedies. “For three months we have been sleeping outside with my husband and my three children,” says Yamna, who comes from Algeria. “On a car asked the DAL to help us on could no longer. I constantly call 115 which always tells me that there is no room so we slept where we could, on the sidewalk in front of the station or sometimes in a garage. We came to France for our 15 year old son who is a footballer because we think it was better for him ”.