In Lyon, hundreds of children and unaccompanied minors must now sleep outside, or in illegally occupied schools according to the “Collectif Jamais Sans Toit”. With students from Sciences Po Lyon, this collective is calling on candidates a few weeks before the first round of the municipal elections.

The Daily Society

From daily life to major issues, receive daily the topics that make up local society, such as justice, education, health and family.

France Télévisions uses your email address to send you the “La Quotidienne Société” newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Our privacy policy

“Homeless children: what can mayors do?” This Monday evening, February 2, a round table in the presence of the heads of the municipal list in Lyon or their representatives, was organized by the Collectif Jamais Sans Toit and students from Sciences Po Lyon.

duration of video: 00h01mn59s

The heads of the list or their representatives were invited to a round table organized by the Collectif Jamais sans roof and students from Sciences Po Lyon – 3/2/26 • ©France tv

Hundreds of children on the street

There are seven candidates for mayor of Lyon. Monday evening, some were represented. Thus Eric Lafond spoke on behalf of the candidate Jean-Michel Aulas. Marie-Charlotte Garin, MP for the ecologists, spoke for outgoing mayor Grégory Doucet. Seven candidates and one question: what will you do once elected for children who sleep outside?

“In Lyon, as elsewhere, the situation has never been so dramatic. We have seen a continued increase in child homelessness since the end of the health crisis,” Juliette, one of the representatives of the collective, explained to the audience present. This issue of children on the street has until now not really been addressed in the municipal campaign.

According to the Collectif Jamais sans Toit, 338 children sleep on the street or in illegally occupied schools. Not to mention the approximately 300 unaccompanied minors who live in a makeshift camp, installed in the Parc des Chartreux, on the slopes of Croix-Rousse. Their fate has so far barely occupied the municipal debates.

“Moral emergency”

“This is an issue that should be a moral emergency at the heart of the debates as we are going to elect a mayor in Lyon in a very short time,” explains Mia, a 4th year student at Sciences Po Lyon.

The message appears to have been received by the candidates. Between compassion and concrete commitment, the candidates have finally taken up the issue. “We must protect the children, these young people who are today in tents with mattresses eaten away by rats, it is absolutely inhumane,” declares Georges Képénekian, the (center left) candidate for mayor of Lyon. “The first point is the opening of new emergency accommodation places with a 40% increase in the budget dedicated to emergency accommodation. When we talk about an increase of 40%, that represents one million euros,” indicates Marie-Charlotte Garin.

But it is above all the “Coeur Lyonnais” list which is expected around the corner. “You come to a round table on homelessness and you do not provide any solutions that Mr. Aulas could possibly do if he goes to town hall,” declares a listener. Response from the representative: “I explained the approach we had, the method. Based on this method, we will put in place solutions to achieve the objectives of housing these children.” A method and the long-term promise of building housing. Nothing more. The representative of Jean-Michel Aulas, favorite in the polls, will not go any further.

At the end of this round table, the candidates were invited to sign a charter of commitments “for the protection of homeless children”. Objective: that street children remain at the heart of the debate.

Note that the UDR-RN candidate for Lyon town hall, Alexandre Dupalais, was not invited to this evening of discussions.

Article written from the report by A.Combes and B.Millaud.