Matter
Pour lire l’article en français click ici
During our exploration of Bellefontaine, specifically around the Goya building, we gathered several stories, each one worth being heard
It is crucial to center the residents—something Toulouse Habitat Métropole has failed to do. Through interviews, we gained insight into how residents experience this process. Most residents really like their apartments and find the relocation process disastrous. There is a strong demand for renovation rather than demolition, including accessible housing and community spaces where residents can connect.
K.
(in the street): "Only a part of the Tintoret building is going to be demolished, number 40, at the back, the one owned by Patrimoine. Goya will also be demolished by Toulouse Habitat Métropole. Yes, they’re different landlords."
S.
"I’ve lived in this building for over 30 years. I’m Algerian. There are so many problems here, yes. The right elevator is broken—the one that goes up to my place. I’m forced to take the other elevator, which is farther away, but I can’t
use the stairs—I’m too old, and there are too many floors. It’s the landlord, Les Chalets, who isn’t doing the repairs. They do it on purpose so people will leave. I’ve called them; they come but just pretend to fix things. Even the pigeons
are waiting to leave; it’s so filthy, it smells like urine everywhere. In summer,
it’s worse. It’s too hot, but I can’t leave the windows open because of the noise below; the young people shout all night, and if you say something, they yell back even louder. Sometimes I throw water, but it doesn’t change anything.
The neighborhood is great, but the people are unbearable. Too many problems with them—too much shouting, too much violence; it’s hell. I’m just waiting
to move, but I have no money, so I have to wait until 2030, when my building is set to be demolished. If I could leave now, I would—my building is falling apart, and my apartment is even worse! I can’t afford to move or make repairs. Everything is filthy, dirty, old. And you know, there are rats everywhere; they’re hiding now, but I assure you, they’re all over. We’ve requested renovations, but they do nothing. My paint is peeling everywhere; in the hallways, everything is broken, and when they come to fix things, they pretend. But take pictures! They need to see! Send them to the landlords so they’ll do something! The people are the problem, not the neighborhood. If I could stay at Bellefontaine and set up my caravan, I would—right here in the middle! You see the police over there? They’re here to deal with the troublemakers."
A. + L.
(they help with school support) "No, no, we work here, but we don’t live here. They’ve been telling us for years that they’re going to demolish nearby, but they keep pushing back the date. We do school support here, helping kids in the neighborhood with their homework after school. So here many children come together. However, it would be really great to have a place where families could meet as well—perhaps a café or something similar. Or generally, a place where women would also feel welcome... “
Woman
(She is on the balcony, holding a baby, and the baby waves at us. She doesn’t speak French, only Arabic.)
P.
"I’ve been working at „Maison c’est nous“ for 15 years, and I’ve known about
the future demolitions since 2012. The residents receive demolition information two years in advance; they can choose where they want to live, in which neighborhoods. Here, rents are capped, so they’re generally sent to similar rent levels. Normally, tenants choose where to move, which allows some people to relocate who couldn’t afford to move before. I’ve been living here for 20 years,
in the building just behind. I have a spacious, cross-ventilated T5 with a very low rent. My apartment is large and beautiful; I’m very happy with it, especially for the price I pay. I want to stay, but opinions are divided here—some want
to leave, others want to stay. The reasons are always the same: the buildings
are dirty, there’s vandalism, people don’t feel safe. Before, the buildings were interconnected, but not anymore. I prefer it this way; it reassures me because there are no more hidden corners, fewer places for people to hide; everyone can see when I cross. I feel safer and more at ease. I don’t like to say this, but people are grouped here by race—Maghrebis, Africans, and only three Chinese families in all of Bellefontaine. Everyone in the building is a person of color."
F.
"I don’t live here; I live across from the Goya and Titien buildings. Are you awa- re of the future demolitions? No, not at all. I think it’s farther away that buildings will be demolished."
C.
(two wimen, working in Bellefontaine) : "It’s so sad to see all this heritage disappear; Bellefontaine is beautiful, and yes, it’s part of Candilis’ heritage. I don’t live here, but I work here and teach classes. However, I wouldn’t live here myself; there’s too much incivility despite it being a very beautiful and much more mineral neighborhood than La Reynerie. Here, people double-park, and you’ll never find a properly parked car—they just don’t know how to park. The young people drive way too fast; they’re really a danger for children. The kids can’t play here anymore; it’s too dangerous with motorbikes zooming by. It’s such a shame to see the neighborhood like this. I remember Bellefontaine with the slab; it was amazing—you could cross the entire neighborhood from top to bottom. You see that stump over there? There used to be another building there, the former arm of the tripod."
L.
(with her son, resident of Titien) "The Goya building will be demolished? No, I don’t think so! They’re demolishing in La Reynerie!
That’s farther away, in the next neighborhood!"
S.
(Resident of Titien) "Oh no, I don’t live here; it’s my mother. But if I understand correctly, this building is going to get some renovations. Yes, the ones next door will be demolished."
W.
(Resident of Goya)"Yes, yes, we know the building will be demolished; we’ve known for a year and a half. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Toulouse Habitat Métropole put concrete blocks to close off stairwells. It’s completely stupid and illegal because now we can’t reach the emergency exits and have to go twice the distance to get out of the building. We’re putting pressure on the landlord with other neighbors to make repairs, but nothing is done. There are still more than
a dozen families living here—we haven’t left yet, but it’s hell. No, the new offers are not acceptable at all—they’re much farther away and more expensive. You don’t see them here, but we’re living with rats; they’re everywhere. But tell me— you’re not with the police, are you?"
R.
(Resident of Goya)"No, I don’t live here; this is my parents’ apartment, but I’m officially registered here. We’ve known for a long time that they’re going to demolish our building. My parents have a T5, a large apartment that’s been fully renovated—the kitchen, the flooring—it feels like a house. They’ve lived here almost all their lives and invested a lot in this apartment. They’re the only ones who want to stay in the building, and I understand them. They were informed and were offered a T2 in place of a T5, so of course they don’t want to leave. What do you think are the reasons for demolishing the Goya building? Oh, it’s to get rid of ghettos, housing projects, what we read in the newspapers. They want to disperse us, but they’ll just move the problem further away. The building itself isn’t the issue; the apartments here are big and beautiful."
A.
(Resident of Goya)"We’re happy to leave; the security here is non-existent. I
no longer enjoy living here. I couldn’t afford to move, so yes, this allows me to do so without financial problems. I think there are about ten families left in
the building. For my relocation, we were assigned an advisor who looks for an apartment where we want and finds comparable prices to here. I visited the first apartment but refused it. Now I’ve received a second offer, but we still need to visit it. I’m in touch with my advisor for everything; he works at Toulouse Habitat Métropole and manages the relocation. We were lucky—he’s nice
and really helps us. It depends on who you get; it’s not like that for everyone. Basically, each advisor manages a family, and it depends on whether they’re there to help or not. We were lucky."
Y.
(Resident of Goya)"No, not at all; I don’t want to leave. I have a T3 here, and they offered me a T1 instead. And it’s the same price as here! The agents from Toulouse Habitat Métropole talk about safer places and say it’s becoming dangerous to live in these neighborhoods, but we already know that—they’re not the ones who will teach us that. The squatters here don’t bother anyone;
in fact, they’re not the ones driving us out. But because of Toulouse Habitat Métropole, who closed everything, they enter through the balconies because the doors are sealed, and they put themselves in danger. I told them, ‘One day, you’re going to fall.’ But yes, nothing works here. The lights are out, the second elevator is always under repair, and they cut the heating. Of course it happens! When
we make requests for where we want to live, our choices are refused. They offer us places farther away and worse off—that’s not acceptable! There’s no point in trying to save the building; it will be demolished anyway. But yes, take pictures and show people—everyone needs to know!"
A.
(Resident of Goya)"Ah, sorry, I don’t have time to answer your questions; I have work to do. But yes, I used to live here before—I’ve already been relocated. Are you satisfied with the offer you were given? Ah, sometimes the offers are better, sometimes worse; it depends!“
H.
(with her daughter in a stroller): "No, I don’t live here; I live in a more recent, smaller building across from here, the blue one over there. Yes, I’m aware of the demolitions; Titien is going to be renovated, I think. I can’t tell you much more, but you should ask *Maison c’est nous* and *CFF*—they know how people are being relocated.“
F.
"Goya belongs to THM, there aren’t many people left in the building, just one family, I think! They live on the 11th floor, and all the others have already moved out. It’s a single woman who doesn’t want to leave her apartment; she’s lived here almost all her life and renovated everything herself. But yes, that building is going to be demolished—not ours. However, I know some families at the end of our building had to move because to reach their apartments, you have to go through the other building, using the same elevator as next door. We’ve known about this demolition for a while, but ours will stay! I can show you the entrance if you’d like.
As for me, I’d like to move because I live in a T4, and all my children have left; there’s too much space for just me. I’m happy living in this building—it works fine; it’s the people and everything else that don’t work anymore. But its also because you don‘t know each other. Is there something you would wish for?
A place where everyone could get to know each other, a space for community in general."
-------------------------------------------- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -
Between Neglect and Resistance:
A Testimony from Bellefontaine’s Forgotten Community
We had the opportunity to interview Yamin, a resident of the building attached to the Goya building.
Click here to read the full interview!