at the University of Burgundy, “we have already taken 70 out of the street”
Revealed by the health crisis, student precariousness remains a reality almost three years later. On the Dijon campus (Côte-d’Or), dozens of volunteers are mobilizing to help the most disadvantaged.
They are nearly 80 every Monday to crowd in front of the doors of the solidarity grocery store of Epi’Campus. Based on the Dijon campus (Côte-d’Or), the association’s mission is to help the most precarious students by distributing food products to them. “The situation today is very serious“, notes Lina El Ouadghiri, its president.The covid has been there and has done a lot of damage.“
If student precariousness is not a new phenomenon, it is indeed the health crisis that has brought it to light and, worse, worsened it. For good reason, in the 2019-2020 school year, before the first confinement, the association welcomed around fifty students … against more than 700 the following year. And since the start of the school year in September 2022, more than 500 people have always called on this aid.
People have to take into account the dramatic side of student precariousness.
Lina El Ouadghiri,President of Epi’Campus
To help students in need, the University of Burgundy (uB) launched a “solidarity commission” in May 2021. An initiative that led to the creation of a dedicated reception center, the doors of which opened last September. “In this way, students can know that we have a permanence open every day of the week who can welcome them, understand their difficulties and guide them according to their needs.», explains Vanessa Vaizant, in charge of the Solidarity mission at uB.
Housing and administrative assistance, support for food and treatment, job search… Behind this mobilization, a hobby horse: to allow students to continue their studies in good conditions. “If they have no roof and can’t feed themselves, they couldn’t graduate“, emphasizes Vanessa Vaizant. A fight that bears fruit: out of 110 students followed last year, only two did not get the precious sesame.
Our priority is that the students were a roof to sleep.
Vanessa Vaizant,in charge of the Solidarity mission at the University of Burgundy
However, despite these efforts, the situation is deteriorating. If 34 extremely precarious students have been rehoused in 2021, housing problems will “crescendo“.”This year, we have already taken 70 of them off the street in two and a half months. It is enormous.“
It must be said that with 7,000 accommodation for 25,000 scholarship students, the Crous Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (BFC) is far from having sufficient reception capacity. A new 200-unit residence should see the light of day in 2027… but until then, the establishment must find alternative solutions.
“We are working with Dijon Métropole and the State to try to identify accommodation that could be taken under a social lease, in order to offer student accommodation at moderate cost“, explains Christine Le Noan, general manager of the Crous BFC.We are also starting energy rehabilitation work to provide energy comfort to students.“
Faced with persistent precariousness, the Crous is also extending one-euro meals for scholarship students. Tuesday, November 22, the Minister of Solidarity Jean-Christophe Combe announced to release “emergency“10 million euros for student food aid.