Nearly one in two Roubais residents lives below the poverty line. A recent report from the Observatory of Inequalities recalls that the northern city suffers from limited access to employment, despite a significant cultural heritage.
A very sad first place which is becoming a habit. Roubaix is once again considered the poorest city in France, according to a report from the Observatory of Inequalities, published on December 3.
In the streets of the town, the news does not shock the residents. “It’s not surprising, it’s true. You just have to walk down that street to see the poverty of the people,” confides Estelle, an employee in Roubaix, to BFM Grand Lille.
Mohamed, a former Roubais resident, considers that the city’s population is “disadvantaged compared to the rest of France”. An observation illustrated by a cruel figure: 46% of the inhabitants of Roubaix live below the poverty line, set at 1,216 euros per month in France.
Professional difficulties
Nearly one in two Roubais residents is therefore considered poor. A sad reality which can be explained in particular through the “closure of the big Roubaisian companies”, which had the consequence of drastically reducing local professional opportunities, according to André, a resident of the city since 1984.
This situation is all the more complex as the simple fact of living in Roubaix devalues applications for job offers, according to Mohamed. Some citizens, however, do not give up the love they have for their city, and prefer to highlight its cultural heritage and the proximity between its inhabitants.
“There is real cohesion. I have the impression that everyone knows each other here and that it does not at all reflect what is said,” contests Mathieu, passing through Roubaix.
Vanessa, a local resident, believes that Roubaix is “the richest city for its cultural diversity”. “We cannot deny that there are not many tourists who come,” she continues at the microphone of BFM Grand Lille, highlighting the city’s infrastructure.
André evokes the “Roubaix Coliseum”, a “magnificent place” and “the most beautiful room north of Paris” according to him. This is unfortunately “financially inaccessible”, he assures.
Beyond the case of Roubaix, the situation in the Nord department, where the poverty rate reaches 20%, is worrying. Most people considered poor live mainly in the largest cities.
Clément Polyn with Mathias Fleury
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