Six children are playing in the shade of large trees. A few metres away, Rose and Maurice, their parents (who wish to remain anonymous), are busy working on their new home. About a year ago, after several years living in the apartments of the Sociétéimmobilier de Nouvelle-Calédonie (SIC), the largest local social landlord, the family packed their bags to join the Caillou Bleu squat, located at the entrance to Nouméa. Like many, they had no choice but to join one of the 61 “precarious housing on illegally occupied land” zones. officially registered in the Noumea conurbation.
“It had become too expensive. After paying rent, water, electricity and food… we had nothing left.”“Rose lists. To get through the month, the family could only rely on Maurice’s salary, a construction worker with a minimum income. A salary of around 1,300 euros, difficult to reconcile with a life whose cost has reached new heights in the French overseas territories. Between 2011 and 2023, food prices rose by almost 25% in New Caledonia. According to the Overseas Emission Institute, the poverty rate, at 18.3% in 2019, was “more than double the metropolitan rate”.
“Discontent and anger” of youth
From social housing to squatting. This journey is also that of Tale, 46, who was evicted from his home. He is now gradually paying off his debt to his landlord. Out of work, he can count on family solidarity and the fruits of his garden, which he takes special care of. “When you live in social housing, you work to pay the bills and in the end… nothing at all. What do you want to do, especially if you have children…?”asks Story.
According to Seven, a resident of Tina’s squat for seven years, this is “discomfort, anger and frustrations”particularly the younger ones, who spoke out on 13 May when the uprising broke out. Like the working-class neighbourhoods, the squatted houses were important centres of the revolt. “For me, May 13th [en réaction à l’arrivée devant l’Assemblée nationale de la réforme constitutionnelle sur la Nouvelle-Calédonie]It is the young people who have woken up and realized that this individualistic lifestyle prevents them from expressing their culture, from existing and from being taken into account. Young people see how their parents live, they have no perspective.”.
You have 71.35% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
