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By Aela Niget-Powers, Student at ESSEC Business School
“The owners of these social hotels requested that we inform them if attendees were cooking in their rooms. If we agreed, it would give them a reason to kick them out. While some owners might be nice, others wouldn’t hesitate to abuse their position of power,” stated an employee of the Salvation Army.
Social hotels offer temporary shelter to the homeless, those who are struggling financially, refugees, and asylum seekers. Governmental bodies, non-profit organizations, or charitable associations fund these hotels. Roka*, a mother of four, revealed that she calls the social emergency helpline 115 every day, only to receive the same unchanging response. Despite significant government investment in low-income housing, demand continues to far outstrip supply. The only choice that remains for the mother of four is private hotels. Funded generously by the State, local governments, and charities on a daily basis, it has become the only alternative. More than 53,000 homeless persons are now placed in hotels each night just in the region of Ile-de-France. The cost to finance this operation currently falls in the proximity of a million euros per night.
At the same time, the conditions at these establishments differ greatly depending on the hotelier. Some guests confided that they could be fortunate enough to have a hotelier who abides by health and safety regulations. For many others, however, living conditions remain hazardous. At some of these social hotels, the dim lighting of the hallways cannot hide the black mildew on the wallpaper that has not already fallen down in strips from the ceiling. Guests such as Roka run into rats and cockroaches on their way to the toilets, and children have been observed with rashes due to bedbug infestations. Mothers stuff towels in the gaps under the door to prevent the vermin and insects from entering their rooms. In addition, these hotels restrict access to basic necessities, locking restrooms, kitchens, and common living areas from guest usage.
‟When I knock on doors to check on guests, I am frequently invited into the room,” stated Morgan Herb, who works for an organization that assists people in social hotels. ‟You don’t know who will answer the door. You enter the room despite the risks to health and psychological trauma. There are families who live there, and you must go regardless of your fear.”
These social hotels accommodate people from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities, including families, both employed and unemployed workers, as well as individuals struggling with alcohol or drug dependency. Fearing eviction and homelessness, many families avoid confronting hotel owners, a situation that some proprietors exploit to assert undue authority.
One guest who asked to remain anonymous shared her experience, ‟Once, the hotel manager entered my room without my permission. When I replied no, he recommended I leave if I wasn’t happy with his request, but I don’t have any other place to go. I am trapped.”
In order to maintain a semblance of privacy in the face of constant harassment and instability, some individuals decide to keep the issues under wraps to avoid any challenge to authority that ends in the above dilemma of “Accept or leave.” In one of the hotels visited near Couronne, a mother and her three children reside in a cramped apartment, furnished only with a microwave placed on the floor.
Organizations such as the Salvation Army have established communal kitchens, allowing residents to prepare meals together. Social workers operating in these dilapidated, vermin-infested buildings are exposed to many of the same health risks that residents face daily. While social hotels can provide crucial short-term support for individuals in precarious situations, they are not a sustainable solution to housing needs. Historical evidence shows that these establishments often become a downward spiral for both residents and staff. The lives of individuals are weighed down by a costly system actually organized to sustain an economic sector of the hotel industry. The French government has put in place several measures to aid those in difficult situations, particularly regarding housing. For instance, the 2018-adopted ELAN law (Evolution of housing, development, and digital technology) intends to protect the most fragile by building more housing and putting more rigorous standards, energy, and digital services in place in the battle against social hotels.
On the other hand, new issues have erupted in the French government’s preparation for the Olympic Games. As the number of fragile places in these hotels increases, owners want to turn these guests away to extend their business to tourists. For some, it is only a matter of time before mothers of three cannot avoid the option of ‟Leave or leave.”
* The first name has been changed
Aela Niget-Powers
Aela is a student at ESSEC Business School and holds dual French and American citizenship. Interested in global affairs, she approaches her studies with an interdisciplinary perspective that connects political thought, culture, and the arts. Alongside her coursework, she attends evening classes at the École du Louvre to deepen her understanding of art history and its place in society. Having spent time in diverse cultural settings, Aela has developed a broad outlook that informs her academic and editorial work. Her writing aims to contribute to thoughtful discussions on the intersections between art, politics, and society.
Very interesting and insightful article! I hope that the implementation of additional norms through the ELAN Law will not discourage property developers from constructing more housing.
There may be a need for increased funding to improve the quality of certain hotels, and additional measures to enhance social rehabilitation could help prevent individuals from remaining trapped in such situations for prolonged periods.
It is likely that the situation will worsen considering the forthcoming Olympic Games in Paris (“https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/24/anger-over-plan-to-persuade-homeless-people-to-leave-paris-before-olympics-asylum-seekers-temporary-reception-centres”).
However, let’s hope that it serves as a wake-up call for implementing effective measures!
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