Without fixed residence

A without fixed residence ( SDF ) is a person who sleeps in the Rue or in Foyers of reception. One also speaks about without itinerant shelter or . The word tramp tends to fall in disuse because of its pejorative and reducing connotation (“the Bell” indicates sometimes the whole of the tramps ).

SDF are new the name in France since the medium of the Années 1980; this name succeeds concept of wandering, or Chemineau (that which “makes the way”), so present in the life in France at the 19th century. The homeless people are often known as in situation of social Exclusion, although this term lends to debates. Some rare homeless people, work (CDD S or Intérim) and can thus be with difficulty described as “Marginaux”.

History and evolution

Vagrancy is very old. One cannot locate it exactly. The term of “without fixed residence” appears as of the 19th century on the registers of police force, it returns to a long tradition of management of the Pauvreté and begging. The analyzes of poverty, the methods employed to fight against this one deeply evolved/moved since the Ancien Mode. Over the period of the years 1950 at our days, the concepts of poverty and begging changed much.

The evolution of the terms testifies to these transformations. The catch load which results from it is it also different. During the optimist period of the post-war period, one thought that the formidable economic growth would allow if not its eradication at least its quasi disappearance.

Characteristics of without-abrisme

Definition

Causes

No matter who can, of the day at the following day, to find itself in the street, without housing, resources, without assistances, delivered to oneself, in the general indifference.

In the encountered difficulties, one counts classically:

a disease
unhealthy family relations or a physical rupture with its family
a divorce
the death of parents
the loss of an employment
debt or the over-indebtedness

One can thus worry on the fate that the future holds to the homeless people since the present one influences the future. It is low explained the importance to minimize the present as homeless person

Lastly, of the reasons of economic order can justify this alarming report: According to an investigation INSEE of 1999, the transformations of the economy, necessary qualification level to find an employment, the fall of the number of cheap residences compared to the number of people whose incomes are weak, as well as the conditions increasingly more difficult to reach a rental housing, explain mainly the rise of the number of without shelter. Martin HIRSCH, former president of Emmaüs France, High-Commissioner in charge of the installation of the income of active solidarity (RSA), it publishes in October 2006 edition Robert LAFFONT ISBN-10: 2221106555 the book poverty in heritage: Two million children low in France (in France, two million children lives today in poverty. What does one know truly of their daily life, their concerns, wounds caused by the glance of the others, their already occulted dreams? What does one know of their lack of childhood? How the families survive do, confronted with the accumulation of difficulties? Why our so beautiful social model let does hopes so much break? Will the political terms of year 2007 have an influence on their fate? Will they be forgotten presidential programs? Or will our country be able to launch a true plan intended to overcome the poverty of the children? Tracks exist to stop the progression of misery. They were worked out by persons in charge of associations, trade unionists, elected officials, researchers who all are persuaded which it is possible to reduce the poverty of the children in a rich country like ours. They are presented here, starting from accounts which illustrate the innumerable obstacles facing the families confronted with poverty. Employment, education, housing, reception of the young children health, nutrition, over-indebtedness, income of active solidarity: far from the theories and general information, this book shows how a strong political will could make move back poverty). He is highly advised, to have a relevant idea of what is poverty in France, of reading the exceptional number of October 2007 of the magazine Convergence entitled " Alarm pauvreté" published by French Popular help.

Statistics of without-abrisme

France

The statistics which we provide relate to primarily Paris which is the town of France the most touched by without-abrisme with a little more than 8000 SDF.

the Middle Age of the SDF in Paris

The SDF in Paris have an age structure rather different from the remainder of the Parisian population, with for example much less elderly of more than 60 years.

22% of men SDF in Paris has between 18 and 30 years.
57% of the men has between 31 and 50 years.
19% of the men has between 50 and 64 years.
2% of the men is 65 years old and more.
48% of women SDF in Paris has between 18 and 30 years.
45% of the women has between 31 and 50 years.
6% of the women has between 51 and 64 years.
1% of the women is 65 years old and more.

the proportion of women SDF

17% of the SDF of Paris, just like in the USA besides, are women. 1 woman SDF out of 3 in PARIS is accompanied children, with or without spouse.

the matrimonial situation of the SDF in Paris

57% of the SDF are célibataires.8% are married. More than 1 SDF out of 3 divorced or is widowed.

the professional situation

28% of men SDF stated to have had, before the street, an itinerant profession, leading them to move city downtown lasting of the years (workmen building, truck drivers, removers, marines, representatives trades, restoration, spectacle). Approximately 25% of men SDF state to work, that is to say in CDD, interim or THESE or another odd job. 17% of concerned are in TDCI.

Socioprofessional categories of the parents of SDF

1 SDF man out of 5 cannot specify the trade of his/her father, either that he did not know it, or that the bonds with him were broken very early. For the 4 SDF remaining men, 49% have a working father. Less than 34 years have more often than a their elder father craftsman or tradesman.

Quebec

http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/publications/conditions/pdf2006/RecueilPauvre.pdf

Interpretation of the statistics and the characteristics of without-abrisme

One thus realizes that there exists full with harbingers on the probability of finding itself with the street. Since any company is confronted vis-a-vis such problems, one includes/understands better than without-abrisme is universal for it. We do not affirm only these problems which when they touch us necessarily send us to the street but that often when a person finds SDF, it has a great chance to be touched by one of these reasons.

However, there exist voluntarist explanations which say that people are in the street mainly by choice. Without-abrisme is seen as a lifestyle which is chosen and not imposed. Indeed, the individuals have options and they are partly responsible for the situation in which they are. Such a reasoning on voluntarism holds a great importance in policy and this, partly because that free the politicians, the political structures as well as the tendencies with which they are associated, of direct responsibilities with respect to certain social problems with which they are confronted. The phenomenon of without-abrisme is thus, according to them, a voluntary company. Certain urban policemen have a similar point of view, although less charitable. They not allot the begging to the social forces, the personal problems or the bad luck but well to a not very considered choice. When one is turned over towards the homeless people themselves, one finds little support for this voluntarist explanation. It is not one of the reasons most frequently given to explain why they are in the street. In this study, only 6.3% of the homeless people with whom the authors of the study discussed it are by choice.

Life of the homeless person

the world of the homeless person

Universe of the homeless person, in whom reign the law of the strongest, proves to be hostile and requires a fight and a mistrust of every moment in order to survive. These living conditions imply an important and quasi permanent stress. The individual who becomes homeless person must adapt to this new world and this has repercussions in many fields.

temporality

The notion of temporality is one of the affected aspects. Indeed, the homeless person loses any significance length or medium term, because it is mobilized by the immediacy. When it is hungry, it should find food immediately. Thus, all the temporal reference marks disappear, forcing the homeless person to create the new ones with the wire of time.

the groups

In this hostile universe, groups can be formed, but their cohesion is fragile. Indeed, they are more gatherings of individuals than groups strictly speaking, being given the absence of real feelings of membership. Their single element of stability would come only from one geographical place: a table, a park, a bench, etc

health

The world of the homeless person also holds a particular design of health. So the homeless person cannot allow himself to fall sick, being given the fight which it carries out daily to survive. The disease remains however a reality which is all the more difficult to live in a similar world. It is also perceived like devastator, because of an image of oneself already devalued. When it is present, the homeless person tends to diagnose itself his evil in order to keep would be this only one minimum of control on his life and itself. Many syndromes are related to the life in the street: incontinence, cataract, diabetes, ulcer of the stomach, arrhythmia, pleurisy, etc the majority of the homeless people, when they will consult, complain initially about respiratory or dermatological problems. In addition, the body is used simply as tool to provide for the vital needs and, accordingly, must be functional. However, a contradiction appears: the priority is often not granted to health, whereas this would make it possible the body to have an optimal operation and to fulfill the functions necessary to the life in the street. The following example which comes from a text entitled Diogène de Horenbeek Bernard (1996), illustrates these problems. “An young man who lived in a squat was broken the foot. Plastered with the urgencies, it had evil to be held on its legs. To reach its squat, it was to climb. Wearied these difficulties, it withdrew its plaster after 3 days (the duration of immobilization envisaged was 6 weeks). He limped a long time and always refused a period of rest in house of reception. ” We will see later the various reasons which make that health is not priority for the homeless people.

the care

" Beds Halt Santé" Care; are structure of lodging temporary which is addressed to the people without fixed residence, without distinction of pathology, whatever their administrative status, and whose health condition requires an assumption of responsibility medical (except care requiring a hospitalization) and an social accompaniment.

The estimated duration of stay is fixed at less than two months in agreement with the medical opinion. The people are dealt with by multi-field team which ensures the care uninterrupted.

The decree No 2006-556 of May 17th, 2006 fixes the conditions of organization and operation of the structures “beds halt care health” (LHSS).

hygiene

The importance attached to hygiene varies according to the cases: some use showers placed at the disposal by institutions or knowledge, whereas others are never washed. Most of the time, clothing is not maintained, is worn day like night and when they are dirtied or damaged, are thrown. However, the homeless people have the possibility of washing their clothes thanks to machines placed at their disposal in the lodging houses. They can get clothing via caritative works which buy clothing on their equities or " réutilisent" clothes given by those which have some. Clothing does not have any more a social function but constitutes the only rampart against the climatic risks. It is advisable to recall that clothing can be the source of various evils, if he are not washed regularly.

sexuality

Sexuality is as much disturbed at the men that at the women and the relations do not last in general a long time. The important stress related to the life in the street has as a consequence an amenorrhoea among women. Such a physiological disturbance attests width of this stress which, so calls in question the femininity of the women homeless person. Moreover, those will prefer to remain with a violent man, since this one can offer a roof to them. As for the men, they complain about impotence and have sometimes recourse to prostitutes.

the food

The homeless people are also confronted with the problem of the food with regard to the quality of the food (exceeded expiry dates, too cooked food, inadequate conservation), dietetics (too much fat and too much sugar), like in the absence of meal considered as social event.

Alcohol is a substance very present in the life of the street, while being the most dangerous drug in the long run. It fills of many functions: • Facilitate the action of begging; • Helps to fight against the cold and the pain; • Facilitate drowsiness; • Create an environment which relativizes the problems; • Support the regroupings of individuals • Allows to take part in the consumer society and to feel “somebody”.

However, these functions are often doubled harmful effects: faster cooling of the body, multiplication of the ulcers and infections, reduction in the duration of the sleep, reduction in inhibition leading sometimes to brawls, irritation of the intestines, premature ageing.

Mortality

in France

In France, the collective of Died of the street, gathering forty associations, 112 died of February to October 2005 listed. The seasonal variation is not very important, the cold killed 5 people out of the 112. These people were on average 49 years old, whereas the Life expectancy is 77 years for the men and 84 years for the women, youngest was 31 years old and half had less than 50 years.

Principal pathologies are related on the Malnutrition and in particular to the deficiencies in Vitamine C and Calcium: Anemia, Hemorrhage S, central nervous system disorders or cardiovascular, Fracture S. the lack of medical monitoring prevents the prevention of diseases treated well like the diabetes or the Hypertension. To this a strong consumption of alcohol and tobacco is added, involving cardiovascular diseases, Cancer S ORL and Cirrhose S.

The study also listed 21 violent deaths: 8 Assassination S, 7 died in Fire S and 6 Fall S mortals.

In a leading article of the weekly epidemiologic Bulletin , Martin Hirsch pointed out that “the life expectancy of lowest in France is closer to the life expectancy at the Sierra Leone (34 years), country which with the one of the shortest life expectancies in the world, which life expectancy of the whole of the French population. Formerly, poverty killed brutally. Today, it kills also surely, but more slowly. ”

Association the Enfants of Don Quichotte evaluates the life expectancy of a SDF at 43 years in 2006.

in Quebec

http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/publications/conditions/pdf2006/RecueilPauvre.pdf

Sociology

Employment and social exclusion

One often sees the people without fixed residence like desocialized people, completely excluded from the company. However, one realized at the beginning of the Années 2000 that it was far from being the general case.

A study made in 2004 by INSEE showed that in France:

three SDF out of ten have an employment, in general precarious (Limited time contract, Intérim); it is generally for them the cost of housing (in dramatic progression) and the insufficiency of the social housing which maintains them with the street.
four SDF out of ten are registered with the National agency for employment, and are thus in a dynamics of looking for a job.

If there is not doubles membership of these two categories (conservation of the inscription in ANPE at the same time as the benefit of an precarious employment), then only 30 % of the SDF in France are really “Désocialisés”.

Correction: It should be specified that the “desocialized” word implies not to be capable food like everyone more and to more be able to make the steps for that if necessary. Certains SDF is not registered in ANPE and do not seek employment, not by desire of marginality, but because they consider that one cannot work when one does not have housing.

In addition, the Housing shortage and the high price of the real estate (in particular in Paris region) are only one of the causes explaining the phenomenon of the homeless people. Indeed, the access to the housing, even for that which can pay, is in many ways restricted (required to have a guarantor, to be able to show the existence of wages high and ensured, in general founded on a TDCI, required to have papers, etc) These constraints remain considerable, beyond even cost of housing in itself.

The “large ones excluded”

The phenomenon of “large excluded” is a social phenomenon complexes to manage. It is not a question only of poverty, but especially of a desocialisation , a loss of the social link. Indeed, a poor person has friends in general, of the family which can lodge it; if the person finds herself in the street, it is that it cut her bonds with her friends and his family, or the reverse, which generally arrives. That can be because of an uprooting (nobody abroad born or having lived a long time abroad, that it is of foreign nationality or not), of psychiatric problems, a family drama, a rejection on behalf of the entourage, a rupture wanted because of undergone maltreatment. In a recent work, L. Thelen, Belgian researcher having worked with institutional actors and of ONG of assistance to the people homeless person like “as” without fixed residence itself, that in Belgium, France and in Portugal, puts forward extreme violence that the environment of the street exerts on its principal users. In order to survive this destroying medium, the latter are constrained to be subjected to a whole series of adaptations which, in their turn, still will reinforce the dependence of the individual with respect to the known as medium. This true vicious circle will lead the homeless person so that the author names “the exile of oneself”, process of desocialisation at this thorough point that which is victim finds deprived of any social support gradually.

In addition to bring a certain number of obviousnesses showing that without-abrisme can lead it at the same ends in very differentiated sociocultural mediums, this work also clarifies the fact that certain institutions of social security, while not taking sufficiently counts of them the environmental constraints to which the people are subjected suffering from extreme exclusion, take part in the reinforcement of the process of exile of oneself.

Indeed, the people without fixed residence are often reticent to sleep in the hearths: those do not present security guarantees (in particular with regard to the flights), they do not accept in general those which have dogs, nor couples of SDF.

Dogs, in addition to the fact of being faithful companions who do not judge, also constitute a means of defense against the aggression, and prevent from being made stop by the police force or the gendarmerie when this one does not have kennels.

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