Empty buildings could be opened to homeless

WITH the arrival of the cold weather, housing minister Cécile Duflot has put forward the idea of requisitioning empty buildings to help the homeless.

Government powers can be extended to enable to buildings to be opened and the move comes after the death of a homeless man on the streets of Paris over the weekend.

Cécile Duflot also said that she would look at ways in which empty state buildings could be used to provide shelter, especially as associations helping the homeless say the numbers calling on their support has increased.

France is also a few days away from the introduction of the annual trêve hivernale, which protects those from renting a home from being evicted over the winter months.