An apartment to get back on your feet

« A serious association that invests a lot in its tenants' successful integration. »

Frédéric Le Bouguenec

For the past thirty years in the region of Nantes, the Sillon de Bretagne housing project in Saint-Herblain provides temporary housing for families and individuals in great social difficulty. They come from very diverse backgrounds, but are all involved in a process of integration.
The Nantes region association “Les résidences soleil” runs two residences considered as difficult areas that bring together 162 housing units ranging from studios to four-room apartments for large families. Through the socio-cultural intermingling of this diverse public, these residences serve as a place for socialisation and a means for integration, far from the typical atmosphere of shelters.

Furnished apartments

Today, the individuals housed in the residences come from increasingly insecure situations and have very few belongings. As a response to this problem, “Les résidences soleil” gives them personalised support. In the space of three years, the association doubled the size of its staff, growing from seven to fourteen employees.
In parallel, it launched a basic furnishing programme in each of the apartments. First, it fitted out twenty-nine housing units thanks to the efforts of Camif solidarité, Emmaüs Loire-Atlantique, the Logement fraternité association and the Fondation Abbé Pierre. The Veolia foundation also made a contribution through a 40,000 euro grant towards furnishing ninety other units.