Strasbourg, in the Bas-Rhin region of France (67), is beginning to see the emergence of small wooden chalets in preparation for the Christmas market, which will open its doors before the astonished eyes of children. These won’t be the only houses poking their heads out. Wood-frame tiny houses for families with children attending school in Strasbourg who find themselves on the streets will also see the light of day this winter. A total of 5 to 7 units will be built. The 22 to 27 square-meter mobile homes, purchased by the local authority, will be installed on a municipal plot on rue de la Carpe Haute until 2026. In 2027, they can be moved.
“We can’t install more than 7 of them, the aim being to go on the concrete part of the ground and not to further waterproof the soil.“explains Figaro Floriane Varieras, deputy mayor of Strasbourg in charge of the fight against precariousness. The houses will have a shared sanitary block in the center, as the water connection for each tiny house would be too costly and time-consuming, according to the deputy mayor. “Winters are very cold here, and pipes have to be buried at least 20 centimetres below ground.“she explains.
A cost of 480,000 euros
Total cost of the project? Just under 500,000 euros, 480,000 to be exact. This sum will be financed by the local authority’s own funds, as well as by subsidies from the sponsor KS construction, a group specializing in real estate. The Strasbourg city council voted in favor of this expenditure on November 4. Financial support from the developer KS will amount to 70,000 euros, of which 35,000 will be paid in 2024 and 35,000 in 2025. The cost of a small house is estimated at 40,000 euros.
Why did such a project come about? “Every week in the Bas-Rhin region, between 800 and 900 people call 115 to ask for accommodation. Half of them are families with under-age children.“the explanatory memorandum states.
A project that already exists in other cities
These timber-framed houses on wheels can be moved around, and so cannot be considered a permanent solution in the eyes of opposition city councillor Pierre Jakubowicz. “We have to stop tinkering. What we say, is that there are vacant buildings that can be renovatedsustainably developed land“he asserts on France Bleu . Floriane Varieras, justifies to the Figaro that “the city’s investment in tiny houses is permanent, but the location on this identified site will be temporary. As we’ll be the owners, we’ll be able to reuse them elsewhere.“. She acknowledges that this initiative is not a comprehensive response to inadequate housing: “We are dependent on government policies in this area. We have lodged a complaint against the state to point out its shortcomings, but we can’t stand by and do nothing. A lot of children sleep in tents after school.“.
Local residents had opposed an initial project on this plot of land on rue de la Carpe Haute last April. At the time, it was intended to accommodate travellers. A petition was launched, gathering over 850 signatures. The project has now evolved into a space reserved for the homeless. Strasbourg is not the first municipality to install wooden houses for the homeless. Rouen, in the Seine-Maritime region, has seen the emergence of 16 such dwellings, equipped with a kitchen, toilet and shower.