Reception of migrants –
A new EVAM home in Renens despite fears
From February, 78 people will be able to be accommodated in an office building, which will remain occupied by businesses. The project caused one of them to flee.
Published today at 10:29 a.m.
EVAM confirms the opening of a new home in Renens, which will be able to accommodate up to 78 people from February.
PHILIPPE MAEDER
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- In the canton, 13,000 migrants are accommodated by the Vaudois Migrant Reception Establishment (EVAM).
- A new home in Renens will open in February, providing accommodation for 78 people, including families.
- It will be located in a building which will also continue to be occupied by businesses. The project was adapted to prevent some of them from moving.
- In the west of Lausanne, the idea of creating an EVAM home on the Jordils site in Saint-Sulpice was abandoned.
Around 13,000. At the start of the year, this is the total number of people supported by the Vaud Migrant Reception Establishment (EVAM). “In 2024, this figure was stable, or even slightly increasing,” comments its director, Erich Dürst. It therefore remains at a high level, even if the number of migrant arrivals no longer records the peaks of 2022 and 2023.”
In this context, EVAM confirms the opening of a new home in Renens, which will be able to accommodate up to 78 people from February. A public information session will be organized Thursday January 23 in Renens. However, the project had been in the works for some time and an investigation was an opportunity to inform the population in 2023.
Worried businesses
The home will be located in the north of the town, in the Baumettes district, in a building previously entirely occupied by offices. This has been redeveloped – in part – to provide collective accommodation for adults and families, while another part will continue to be used by businesses.
By consulting the Municipality’s 2023 management report, we learn that when the project was announced, some of the tenant companies considered packing up, fearing an incompatibility of their activities with those of an EVAM center. After negotiations and adjustments to the project, only one finally confirmed her departure.
-No home in Saint-Sulpice
Among the forty EVAM accommodations spread across the canton, that of Renens will be a temporary solution, rented, for a few years only. It will make it possible to compensate for the closure of other homes whose lease expires in 2025.
This year, EVAM also hopes to open a hostel in the former Hôtel Regina in Lausanne, as well as in Rolle. On the other hand, the director of EVAM indicates that discussions did not lead to success in Saint-Sulpice. After the rejection in the vote of the Jordils residential district project this summer, there was talk of setting up accommodation there for migrants.
Renens performance hall, rue de Lausanne 37, at 6:30 p.m. Information on renens.ch
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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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