Les nouveaux pauvres, ou le règne de la précarité

“Work no longer protects against poverty.” In a report, Secours Catholique (Catholic Relief Services) is alerting the public: more and more people helped by the organization have jobs, but their standard of living is below the poverty line, which is €670 per month. Their wages are not enough to pay the bills. They have a roof over their heads, but they can't make ends meet and live in constant fear of “falling,” of being thrown onto the street because they can't pay their bills. Over-indebtedness and the housing crisis are the two major factors in this phenomenon… The alarm bells are ringing. Victims of the “threshold effect” (they earn too much to qualify for assistance, but not enough to get by!), these newly impoverished people receive no help from charities (they are not eligible for food banks, for example), nor from the CAF (Family Allowance Fund). We have focused on describing the daily lives and worlds of those who agreed to speak openly in our report. This is the case for Christian, Maryvone, and their children Kevin and Céline, who have been living for a year and a half in a campsite in the Oise region with only 30 square meters of living space. Christophe, Alexia, and their young son left the Ain region to settle in Marseille. They are forced to live in a furnished hotel room. Elizabeth is 37 years old and has three grown children. Recently divorced, she is looking for housing. Evicted from her home, she has to move into a campsite with her children. Thierry, 40, is an executive in Paris, but he is forced to live in a homeless shelter while waiting to find housing in the capital. Authors: Corinne Langlois, Vincent Daudey