Toulon and Marseille nominated among other cities in France for their worst anti-homeless measures

It’s a prize that cities could do without, the “golden peaks” ceremony of the Abbé Pierre foundation awards prizes to the worst anti-homeless measures. A satirical tone for a very serious cause which denounces the attempt to make homeless people invisible rather than solving the problems. Toulon and Marseille are among the nominees.

Spikes, nails or anti-homeless iron blades. Yes, yes, you read that right. Anti-homeless furniture adorned with flowers in the streets to keep away and prevent homeless people from sleeping and lying down.

The Abbé Pierre foundation (which will also change its name following the scandal tainting its founder Editor's note) awards the trophy for the least tolerant and unsurprising cities, in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, a “well off” region . The first two editions took place in 2019 and 2020.

This prize, awarded in a satirical manner, aims to denounce these devices: “The Foundation denounces the choices which increasingly lead to making the city, the street, an inhospitable and dangerous place for the people who are forced there.

This is why it fights with determination these inhumane systems which make the most deprived people invisible, pushing them further and further away from city centers and out of sight.

The Abbé Pierre Foundation.

Already on the podium in 2020, Toulon and Marseille are repeating this year.

Among the nominees, we find the “In my bed, there are cacti” in Marseille, in front of this hotel, planters full of cacti have been installed.

Or even “on the razor's edge” with a device in front of a bank at 19 avenue Colbert in Toulon.

ALSO READ: Toulon, Marseille: the worst anti-homeless measures “rewarded” by the Abbé Pierre Foundation

Several categories in this award ceremony: the “scrupulous blood”, “the imposter”, the “get out of there” and of course “the nail” which is awarded by Blanche Cardin, the comedian and godmother of the association.

The testimonies leading to nominations were sent by shocked citizens and the general public was able to vote on the “lespicsdor” website.

Many cities have thus been singled out like Nice, France 3 Côte d'Azur already mentioned it in this 2022 article with the bench cut into three for example.

The list of nominees is not exhaustive and depends on the testimonies shared, it does not “point” to a sponsor (municipality or company) but rather to the system. The goal is to raise awareness.

Communication department of the Abbé Pierre foundation

at France 3 Côte d’Azur

The foundation wants to draw attention to this problem and not blame the actors who consciously or not put these systems in place. The Foundation participated in the drafting of a Declaration of the Rights of homeless people and encourages municipalities to sign it.

With this ceremony, the foundation wishes to raise awareness in society and reaffirm its objectives, in particular the implementation of the “Homeless: zero objective” plan which is based on 6 axes:

• The rise of the “Housing First” policy, which is based on the principle that
  everyone must be able to access dignified and sustainable housing, whatever their difficulties.
• The production of 150,000 truly social housing units per year.
• The allocation of this housing as a priority to the most disadvantaged people.
• Mobilization of the private stock to complete the affordable housing offer.
• A dignified welcome for migrants.
• The end of rental evictions without solution and the prevention of ruptures.”

According to the foundation, France has 330,000 homeless people, including more than 2,000 children.

At the end of the ceremony, it was ultimately Nangis's “iron throne” which won the public prize, the photo showed metal armchairs on a bench. In the Impostor category (two devices from the city of Marseille were nominated) we witnessed a classico, it was a device from Paris which “won” against Marseille with stakes in front of an establishment offering academic support course, a whole program!