Emergency shelter opens in Lyon

The City of Lyon opened an emergency shelter on Thursday, October 15, at the former Favre boarding school in the 4th arrondissement to provide housing for up to 130 young people seeking recognition of their minority status. These individuals had been living in the garden of the Chartreux, on the slopes of the Croix-Rousse, for several months, with some having occupied the area since January 2025.

Former school becomes shelter

The former Favre boarding school, a municipal building vacant since September 1, has been transformed into a shelter to address the situation. The city stated that this move reconnects with the original purpose of the site: to welcome, protect, and educate children without resources. The facility will be managed by the City's Social Action Center (CCAS).

Support services provided

The young people accommodated will benefit from social and health support, including access to medical care, schooling, and follow-up of their legal procedures. Social workers, a nurse, and several agents will be mobilized on site. A security system will also operate seven days a week, and separate spaces will be planned to allow cohabitation with other structures in the building.

Mayor defends the initiative

Lyon's mayor, Grégory Doucet, justified the new initiative despite the absence of direct competence of the commune in emergency housing. He stated that he could not tolerate the inhumane situation these young people find themselves in. The facility is managed by the City of Lyon's Community Action and Social Services Center (CCAS).

Census and support team

Before the shelter opened, a census of the young people was conducted in cooperation with local associations and collectives. A team of social workers, logistics and social assistants, a nurse, and a technical agent will provide continuous support, particularly in terms of rights, access to healthcare, schooling, and follow-up of legal appeals.

Previous shelter efforts

This new shelter follows similar operations by the city council. In January 2024, 170 young migrant people were accommodated through a partnership with the Lyon diocese. A year later, 160 other young people living in Béguin square benefited from a shelter in a private vacant building. Deputy mayor Bruno Couturier praised the commitment of local associations and residents.

Long period of uncertainty

The opening comes after a long period of uncertainty for the young people in the Chartreux encampment. In April, unaccompanied minors who had found refuge in the Saint-Polycarpe church had to return to the encampment after the closure of that site. In September, the mayor had announced that the 130 young people would be housed in the former boarding school before the end of October.

Other housing concerns

The City of Lyon also warns about several other situations, including the threat of eviction of nearly 300 single women with children in a building on Place de Milan. The city is also concerned about the closure of the Stations, which provides 102 emergency accommodation places for unaccompanied minors. As winter approaches, the city council is calling on public authorities to prevent new placements on the street.