The three towers should be deconstructed in 2026
The three Monmousseau towers still standing will not remain so for long. These three concrete giants built on the edge of the plateau, next to the market, should be destroyed in 2026, the year of their 59th anniversary. And will therefore experience the same fate as their six old neighbors, demolished in 1983 and 2004. The decision was taken in 2019, as part of a new project by the ANRU (National Agency for Urban Renewal). The program, called “Zac Marché-Monmousseau-Balmes”, will completely change the sector.
Before the hydraulic excavators attack these three 14-story buildings, 173 apartments must be emptied of their occupants. Over the past three years, 125 tenants have found a place to stay. For the 48 remaining families, daily life is not always easy. Invited to leave, sometimes against their will, these “Minguettois” have learned to live in buildings that sound more and more hollow. And experience an environment that is deteriorating, only 11 years after the last renovation.
“I have lived here since 2011, testifies Omar. We lived there very well until 2019, when we knew that the towers were going to be demolished. Since then, we have noticed that there is less investment in maintenance. However, the costs are increasing. » This father of two children aged 10 and 12, staying in a T2, has more than one misadventure to tell, against a backdrop of water damage, elevators continually broken down and intrusions into common areas.
“We know what we leave, not what we take”
Same story with his neighbor Abdelkader (66 years old), delegate of the Charles-Perrault neighborhood council, resident of Monmousseau since 1968: “I was without hot water for a year. Outside, the lights remained broken for three years. And there is some sloppiness in cleaning. » During neighborhood council meetings, more worrying inconveniences are reported: such as sublet or even squatted housing, or the presence of drug dealers and lookouts at the foot of the towers.
While the social landlord Alliade Habitat has set the end of the rehousing phase for December 31, 2025, time is running out for the last tenants. Finding new, more decent accommodation, at the same price and in the right location, is like getting your hands on the five-legged sheep.
“We want to live in Bron, confides Omar. We had eight or nine proposals. But for a new T4, the rent amounts to 800 euros. Here, we pay 450 euros per month. We never asked to leave. And as they say, we know what we're leaving but not what we're taking. » Abdelkader does not seem to be in a hurry to leave: “We have a roof. My apartment is in good condition. I undertook some work. Everything is tiled. And then, what's the point of leaving one ghetto for another ghetto? Everywhere, it's the same thing. There is no more diversity. »
Difficult transition phase
“The end of a rehousing phase is always complicated. And in Monmousseau, the general context has been deteriorating for two years. » Pierre-Alain Millet's observation applies to all urban renewal operations which affect the priority districts of Vénissieux. Although he does not deny the difficulties that are accumulating for tenants, the municipal assistant for housing and the Major City Project (PCF) maintains his full confidence in the social landlord: “People are certainly not reassured. But Alliade Habitat does a lot: it pays agents and manages very important support. I usually tell these tenants that the best thing for them is to speed up their rehousing. This situation is always perceived as suffering or failure. But once they move somewhere else, they are happy. »
Aware of acts of incivility in the residence and the presence of unwanted individuals on the floors, Alliade Habitat tries to remedy the problems via its residential tranquility center: “Our security prevention experts work in conjunction with the police station. They are mobilized on neighborhood concerns and analyze the bases of buildings. »
Concerning maintenance, the lessor explains “adapt cleaning services according to the number of residents”. On the rehousing side, “There is no pressure to leave. Our tenants are free to accept or refuse offers. In the aging park, we are responsible for the beautification work. »
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