Prilly: In Malley, culture and poverty coexist not without difficulty

To admire the major Malley construction sites, there is no better viewpoint than the wasteland located to the south of the district. In the town of Prilly, the modern suburb of Lausanne is taking shape, and several buildings should accommodate their first inhabitants in 2025. But in the meantime, the space at their feet is more desolate than ever.

Families outside

Thanks to the Indian summer, we can still spend the day outside these days. This is what many people do who have made the wasteland their place of life. Along an industrial building, old chairs and armchairs host a family’s conversations. Children are playing and strollers are parked in a corner. On mattresses on the floor, people sleep buried under blankets.

A man explains: “Yes, we have been spending our days here since this summer. There’s nothing we can do about it.” He assures that he and his people are among Roma families evicted last July from a building in Lausanne.

A few meters away, there are also people around a Mongolian yurt. Run by an association, the structure offers daytime reception, but it is closed on that day. The next day, it will open its doors to those looking for a little warmth. In the meantime, several men pass the time. Like the Roma family, they are homeless and usually find shelter at night at the nearby Sleep-in. “But it closes at 9 a.m. So we come here,” said one of them.

The cirque is going

For a long time, the Malley wasteland has been a place marked by social precariousness – which should change when Malley is completely urbanized, l’horizon 2030. In the meantime, from 2021, the municipalities of Prilly and Renens took the initiative to liven up this space differentlyby installing cultural and social activities there, such as the La Galicienne summer refreshment bar and a big top offering circus shows all year round.

Today, the results of this experience are mixed. Precariousness seems to have gained ground, as evidenced by the waste strewn around the area and the laundry drying on abandoned structures.

Recently, the O’Chap circus company made the decision to move. “We had different problems and it became complicated to organize shows for a family audience,” explains Emi Vauthey, its co-director. She cites in particular waste found in the marquee and notes that people have sometimes moved in to sleep in the company’s trailer.

However, it was an unexpected event that marked the start: “This summer, 80 meters of copper electrical cables were dug up and taken away. Luckily, it was after the end of our programming, but we had to give up on a show project this winter. O’Chap now hopes to find a new location for next spring.

The others stay

The Galician also wondered about her future, but she will still be here next year. “We decided to give this place another chance, while being realistic,” explains Vincent Rossi, of the I Lake Lausanne association, which runs the refreshment bar. According to him, the situation has deteriorated since last year. “The salsa and improv evenings work very well, but we have sometimes organized concerts in 2023 which did not attract anyone. It’s the snake that bites its own tail. The less entertainment there is, the more the place is left to itself.”

Referring to the presence of homeless people, he comments: “I would not say that cohabitation with our public generates tensions, but rather mutual distrust. Next year we hope to turn it into a dialogue and, if it goes well, we will stay.”

Another actor present at Malley, the La Galicienne Improvisation League, which organized several events this summer, is considering next year. Its co-director, Océane Lüthi, observes: “Malley is a place where several populations coexist. It therefore takes time and energy to find arrangements. To date, the wasteland is unsanitary, due to lack of maintenance and resources made available. The lack of emergency accommodation places in the neighborhood forces homeless people to sleep there in more than difficult conditions. This situation concerns us greatly.”

Finally, the yurt which offers day care to the homeless confirms that it will be able to stay, while she was already on probation last spring. Contacted, the trustee of Prilly, Alain Gilliéron, indicates that a complete redevelopment of the plot is a file in progress and that announcements on this subject will be made “soon”.

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Chloe Din has been a journalist in the Vaud & Régions section since 2015. She covers in particular the West Lausanne district as well as religious and spiritual themes.More info

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