Finding yourself as a single parent means seeing your standard of living drop dramatically, having to look for accommodation, and dealing with the difficulties of finding accommodation on a single salary, which can sometimes prove difficult in big cities. To counter this, but also the loneliness induced by raising children alone, the Municipality has decided to open residences for single-parent families.
Residence for single-parent families: a world first
Last December, the first residence for single-parent families in the world opened its doors in Poissy. Five families have already moved there, to find suitable accommodation, common services and mutual assistance between tenants.
But what was the impetus behind the idea of creating this residence? “ It was a combination of two factors » explains Tara Heuzé-Sarmini, co-founder of Comune.
“ The Covid epidemic, with the fact that everyone was very isolated at home with the confinement periods. AND the observation of a generalized real estate crisis, which hits single parents harder than any other public.
They have enormous difficulty finding accommodation, because they are in competition with traditional couples or families. Landlords choose tenants who have two incomes rather than one. Lone parents are therefore forced to live in accommodation that is too small, too far away and often suffer a deterioration in social ties. »
This was the case of Mathilde, who a few months ago experienced a breakup with the father of her 2 and a half year old daughter. This consensual separation under good conditions allowed him to occupy his ex-spouse’s accommodation during periods of professional travel. “ He isn’t around much and when he is there he looks after our daughter so she stays in the same accommodation, and I squat here and there with friends. »
This temporary situation arose because Mathilde was unable to find another accommodation after the separation. “ In all the apartments I visited, couples with two salaries were chosen, inevitably I go afterwards. »
Spaces designed for single parents
Mathilde was initially a little wary when she discovered the concept of the Municipality. «I heard about it on social media, I was a bit afraid that it was a scam, but I read the press articles and it reassured me, so I sent my application. I thought he was some kind of roommate and I really didn’t want to go back 10 years to a student residence, but visiting him I understood the concept better. Finally, the fact that it’s in Poissy slowed me down a bit too, but Paris can be reached in less than 20 minutes by train. »
To join the residence for single-parent families, very few criteria need to be verified:
“ We are very flexible and accommodating » reassures the co-founder, « you must be a single-parent family with at least partial custody and have one or two children at least 2 years old. We ask that the person earns double the proposed rate and not triple as in the traditional private market. Prices in Poissy range from 1,190 euros to 1,450 euros and include rent, expenses, but also additional services. We do not ask you to have a permanent contract outside the probationary period, we have many self-employed workers, people in retraining or people who have returned to their studies. »
As regards the “bonus” services, we find in particular a cleaning package for common areas, legal assistance, academic support or even subscriptions to platforms such as Netflix. The common spaces of the Poissy residence include a large garden, an internal courtyard, a multipurpose games room, dining room, kitchen, laundry, a coworking space and also a relaxation area reserved for parents with a bar. Finally, events are organized regularly, starting very early with the galette of queens and kings.
Mathilde has not yet moved into her furnished “unit” with her daughter in Poissy, but it won’t be long before she does. “ I have two bedrooms, a small kitchen, a bathroom and a toilet. But most of allin short, shared spaces that I wouldn’t have access to if I had a normal apartment “.
A transitional living space to recover
But once settled in a Municipality residence, the goal is not to stay there forever: “ We designed the residence as a transitional living space, to accommodate a family for a period of one to three years., with one-year leases renewable twice. This helps break isolation, relieve mental pressure, but also save money, because our families spend 20 to 30% less per month living in the residence.
It is a period during which parents will be able to stabilize their professional career, put some money aside, perhaps meet someone, make acquisition plans. Then the children grow up and the offer is not relevant, for example, for independent teenagers. »explains Tara Heuzé-Sarmini.
This is also Mathilde’s vision of this new life that awaits her:
“ It’s a landing cushion when you don’t really have a home after the breakup, to be able to settle down and think about what comes next.. I see it as a decompression chamber, we sit back and see. It’s not forever, but it’s not just for 2-3 months either, my daughter needs to have a somewhat stable framework. »
Even though Mathilde does not yet live in the residence, she has started bringing things into her unit. “ I like knowing that when I come home exhausted in the evening, I will be able to eat with others, or at home talk to people who are experiencing the same thing and understand. »
Global distribution in the future
The Poissy residence is designed to accommodate 13 families. Five have already settled there, three others, including Mathilde and her daughter, will move there in the next few days, and some places are still available. At a demographic level, resident families are representative of single-parent families nationwide, with 85% single mothers and 15% fathers.
But the Commune does not intend to stop here. “ In the spring of 2024 we will open a residence in Roubaix for 28 families » announces the co-founder of Comune. “And we plan, subsequently, to open residences around the world, mainly in Europe and North America. The number of single-parent families is continually increasing, especially single-parent families. It is important to be able to be a family in every possible and unimaginable sense of family and to provide places where parents and children can thrive. »
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
