Strasbourg town hall wants to build “tiny houses” to increase its emergency accommodation capacities. The principle of sponsorship which will make it possible to build two additional houses must be adopted this Monday by the municipal council. In total, six to eight very small wooden frame houses, mounted on wheels, must be installed on municipal land located rue de la Carpe Haute, in Robertsau. The budget is around 480,000 euros including 70,000 euros in sponsorship from the Strasbourg promoter, KS Groupe.
But the principle does not satisfy everyone. First, the local residents. A petition had been launched. The association defending the interests of Robertsau, ADIR, says itself rather favorable at the reception of tiny houses. But regrets a real lack of communication from the city.
“What we can regret is that the information was not clearly disseminated from the start. There were a lot of rumors at the start without specifying that these were families with children. And that , it's an important point if it had been better explained, perhaps it wouldn't have had time to build up like that and prevent some tempers from getting heated like Robertsau. explains Jacques Gratecos, its president. Who nevertheless reiterates that he is rather in agreement with the project. “The land is large, seven or eight houses, it will not overwhelm the entire neighborhood” he said.
More than 1,000 homeless people in Strasbourg
The situation has never been so tense in Strasbourg, especially as winter approaches. According to the latest figures from 115, there are around 1,000 people on the streets in Strasbourg. 300 people including more than a hundred children live in tents in the now very large Krimmeri camp, very close to Avenue de Colmar. More than thirty tents have already been installed in Eugène Imbs Park at the Montagne Verte. So with these tiny houses, several associations denounce a somewhat shaky solution, in any case not sustainable. This is also what opposition municipal councilor Pierre Jakubowicz says.
“We have to stop tinkering. What we say is that there are vacant buildings that can be renovated, land developed sustainably. So instead of constantly tinkering with choices that we don't unable to judge the relevance and spend public money on temporary solutions, a real concerted strategy is needed to build solid projects, taking into account the issues of social support, social impact, integration and reintegration and which makes it possible to build lasting solutions” he said.
Several associations believe that these tiny houses are ultimately just a drop in the ocean of needs. The town hall defends its project. As a new, flexible and above all emergency accommodation solution which will allow to quickly shelter families with children.
“These tiny houses will make it possible to accommodate families whose children attend our schools and who unfortunately find themselves on the street. Clearly, the project of tiny houses in Robertsau does not address the whole problem. We say so often, accommodation is a responsibility of the State, but on the other hand our concern and our priority are the children educated in our schools, doing everything so that they can follow a normal education as much as possible” explains the deputy in charge of solidarity Floriane Varieras.
The tiny houses of Robertsau wanted by the Strasbourg town hall should in any case be inaugurated within a year.
