Opposition elected officials at Nice city hall have warned about the deplorable living conditions of vulnerable populations in the Azure capital. They denounce the municipal majority’s inaction in the face of the consequences of the heat wave and advocate for the opening of an emergency plan.
“We fear a denial by the municipal majority“, laments Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, member of the opposition at the Nice city hall.
Yesterday, opposition members organized a press conference to discuss the situation of homeless people during periods of extreme heat.
The heat wave has been going on for about ten days. The city of Nice implemented, as early as June, a Heat Wave Plan to protect the at-risk population.
The Deputy Director General of Social Services of the city and its municipal social action center (C.C.A.S) work daily to help homeless people.
Yet last June, the Popular Relief Organization in the Alpes-Maritimes warned about the need to create a “extreme heat plan” for people in need. Since then, the opposition has been concerned about a relaxation by city hall regarding the protection of Nice’s population.
“A non-issue for the majority“
On March 29, Nice’s mayor, Éric Ciotti, announced a “zero tolerance for those illegally occupying public space” on his X account. This announcement concerned associations, who feared that support services for the homeless would not be maintained during the term.
To calm tensions, the deputy delegated to Social Affairs, Valérie Sergi, committed to maintaining, or even improving existing services. However, they appear insufficient to meet the needs of all homeless people.
Patrick Allemand, city councilor and opposition member, deplores an increase in the number of homeless deaths in Nice since the beginning of the heat wave. He adds that “associations are doing what they can, they’re doing a tremendous job but the problem is that there aren’t many of them and reception capacity remains insufficient.”
Julien Picot, opposition member and president of the city’s finance commission insists on the lack of resources that plague associations. “The first action of the mayor, at the beginning of his term, is to cut 360 million euros from the budget. That’s a social bloodbath!“, he says without hiding his frustration.
Elected officials fear that homeless people will be made invisible in public spaces. “These aren’t just vagrants, these are people who cannot find housing“, affirms Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux. It is important to note that most homeless people have precarious jobs.
They fear a “shirking of responsibility” by the municipality regarding the poor conditions in which homeless people endure extreme heat. “Normally, coordination between different actors should be the responsibility of the municipality“, mentions Patrick Allemand.
An emergency heat wave plan proposed
Opposition elected officials are calling on city hall to react, citing a public health emergency. “The mayor should bring together a team to find a solution, that’s what we want“, affirms Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux.
The first measure proposed is the creation of “cooling centers” accessible during the day in municipal buildings to distribute water. They propose the creation of municipal “cooling outreach” services to support the work of associations. The idea is to distribute essentials to resist heat and direct people to air-conditioned locations.
Chronic dehydration, notably due to alcohol consumption, chronic illnesses or treatments, is a real scourge for homeless people during heat waves.
“People on the street are three times more at risk. These are people already exposed to dehydration in normal times“, affirms Pauline Nales, member of “United for Nice“.
They recommend opening three municipal spaces to shelter them from heat in the evening. The plan also aims to expand existing centers and create more in the train station and airport areas. “We haven’t yet identified facilities in west Nice, but they exist“, adds Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux.
“More than 8% of housing is vacant in Nice. If the municipality took concrete measures, it would be possible“, adds city councilor Julien Picot. Allowing access to beach showers in the evening, strengthening free access to drinking water and promoting access to public toilets are, ultimately, essential measures. They allow guaranteeing human dignity and preserving the health of homeless people.
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