2023-06-19 10:06:36
Lausanne
The 43m² collective takes over the Théâtre de Vidy to house the homeless
Activists who fight for the homeless have taken over the interior of the cultural place and its gardens to set up an emergency accommodation center there.
PostedJune 19, 2023, 12:06 PM
The installation of the emergency accommodation center began on Monday around 11:30 a.m.
20minutes/Marvin Ancian
The installation of the emergency accommodation center began on Monday around 11:30 a.m.
20minutes/Marvin Ancian
The installation of the emergency accommodation center began on Monday around 11:30 a.m.
20minutes/Marvin Ancian
The installation of the emergency accommodation center began on Monday around 11:30 a.m.
20minutes/Marvin Ancian
Members of the 43m2 collective who fight against homelessness are setting up new unauthorized and self-managed emergency accommodation on Monday in the premises and gardens of the Théâtre de Vidy in Lausanne. “We wanted to challenge circles that we thought were also allies in the cause of the homeless. This theater is a well-known institution, and whose mission is also social”, explains one of the activists, to justify the occupation of this establishment subsidized by the State.
The collective considers that the City does not do enough for people forced to live on the street. Activists are calling for an end to the thermometer policy (closing emergency shelters as soon as temperatures rise), increasing the number of year-round places, revamping the order of priority and the decriminalization of wild camping, which they say penalizes the homeless. “Administrative criteria perpetuate structural state racism. In fact, it is always the men from the countries of the South who are refused a warm place at night, ”adds the collective, which is not at its first attempt.
In May 2022, its members had invested the lawn of the High School of Social Work and Health. Yet summoned to leave as soon as they arrived, they had left the premises on their own a month later. This was followed in the fall by a round table with all the players in the industry. The City of Lausanne then hinted that the thermometer policy would be abandoned. But so far, nothing has been done yet.
The City has released funds
However, in the municipality of Lausanne, a budget increase of 200,000 francs to the emergency accommodation system was voted in December 2022. This year, the City operates two buildings in Renens (VD), in addition to the 250 other places available in winter, and spread over the entire territory of Lausanne.
The illegal occupation in Vidy comes a month after the announcement of the final closure of the Respite, while demand tends to increase. Managed by the Sofia parent foundation and partly financed by the State, this night reception structure had seen his teams under pressure following a boom in demand last winter. For its part, the City had taken on the responsibility of finding an alternative for next winter.
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