The winter "treve" during which landlords may not expel tenants except in certain restrictive conditions ended yesterday. Whilst we can sympathise with owners with bad tenants, many people will be put into the streets due to economic circumstances.
One of the local charity groups we have had communication with is "Pas sans toit" which helps homeless people in Montauban. We are told there are around 100 homeless people in that city, including families with children.
The Fondation Abbe Pierre has condemned at national level the expulsions when local authorities are not making enough effort to provide accommodation for such individuals and families.
The volunteers of Pas sans toit often provide accommodation in their own homes and the association may pay hotel rooms on a short term. Mains Tendues 82 has as its aim to help local people in difficulties via the associations which provide on the ground assistance so is to offer 500 euros to help out the association, as well as a similar sum to another local association "Education sans frontieres" which helps homeless people with learning French, the key to many administration solutions.
