Image Source: Unsplash
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. This charitable association has become a household name throughout the Western world since founded in 1865 by the Methodist minister William Booth in the East End of London.
Although I was able to conduct multiple interviews within the social hotels, this account regrettably highlights only one of the issues related to authoritarian abuse experienced by tenants, already mired in dire circumstances. But what are social hotels in France?
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. The reality is considerably more complicated. As these social hotels are routinely used as emergency accommodations for those who have nowhere else to stay, the “temporary” aspect has become neglected. Roka*, a mother of four children, confided that she had lived for five years in social hotels. She calls the social emergency number “115” every day, but the response is always the same. Although the government invests heavily in low-income housing projects, it remains continuously behind demand. 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. However, living conditions for many others are dangerous. 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 house people from diverse walks of life and countries in addition to families, including unemployed and employed laborers, alcoholics and drug addicts, and so on. Because the families do not want to quarrel with the hotel owners for fear of being evicted and thrown onto the street, some owners take advantage of their 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 people 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 these hotels that we visited near Couronne, another mother and her three children quietly live in a tiny apartment with a microwave on the floor and nothing else. However, certain groups, such as the Salvation Army, have established communal kitchens to allow residents to cook together. When social workers work in these dilapidated and vermin-infested buildings, they are exposed to the same health risks that guests face daily. Although some bring home the bedbugs, they also become more active and vocal toward integrating hotel guests into the local community so they can find employment and accommodation elsewhere.
The bottom line is that social hotels can be beneficial in specific scenarios to provide immediate assistance to people in perilous situations. Still, they should not be viewed as a long-term solution to meet people’s needs. The history of social hotels has proven to be a downward spiral for everyone involved. 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, holding dual French and American citizenship. Committed to her passion for the arts, she attends night classes at l'école du Louvre to further her knowledge and appreciation of artistic expression. Aela has explored diverse cultures worldwide, fostering a global perspective. Her editorial endeavors are driven by a desire to elevate conversations, infusing them with a nuanced exploration of the dynamic interplay between art 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!
Hello my friend! I wish to say that this post is amazing, nice written and include approximately all important infos. I’d like to see more posts like this.