The 20th
anniversary
edition
March 14 & 15, 2025
at UNESCO • Paris

Philippe, we first met you in April as the volunteer president of Alynéa – Samu Social 69, and now we see you as the managing director of the same association. What motivated this new role, and why did you leave your position as project manager for “Water for All” and CSR at the Public Water Authority of Grand Lyon?

Philippe Imbert: There are proposals you simply can’t refuse! My career has been that of an intrapreneur. On several occasions at Veolia and then at the Public Water Authority, I created my own positions, always with two constants:

1. Working collectively with other entities to enrich each other and truly innovate.
2. Bringing a strong social dimension. This is how we were able, for example, to improve access to rights through Pimms Médiation, promote social and solidarity economy by co-founding CentSept, and more recently, create an ambitious water distribution policy, based on the right to water for all, which includes new measures to provide safe drinking water to squats and shantytowns.

There was no shortage of projects, and my role as the volunteer president of Alynéa – Samu Social 69 was also a great source of fulfillment. We had a fantastic managing director, who was “poached” by a larger organization. His succession was delicate because it involves managing an organization of 220 employees that resembles a small business, constantly defending public funding that is always under scrutiny, while also effectively advocating to raise awareness of the homelessness crisis. The board and teams were very committed to maintaining the association's core values. When they offered me the chance to lead such a “social reactor,” I couldn’t refuse!

Could you tell us more about Alynéa – Samu Social 69, which was created over 50 years ago? What is its role in today’s society, and why does it follow such a multidisciplinary approach?

Alynéa – Samu Social 69 is a Lyon-based association founded by professionals in response to the creation of emergency shelter in hotels in the early 1970s. From the beginning, the belief was that in order to help people in extreme exclusion regain their place in society, professional support was needed, with services varying depending on the individual and their desired path forward.

Since then, we’ve maintained a multidisciplinary approach, guided by the mission to respect fundamental rights, which go beyond just access to a roof, but also to healthcare, education, training, employment, etc. In short, Alynéa – Samu Social 69’s work revolves around four main missions, which span from the streets to autonomy:

1. Acting on the ground with our “official outreach” teams, made up of nurses and social workers.
2. Managing various forms of collective housing, differentiating the public since there isn’t one type of homeless person, but several. We run seven different facilities that provide continuous shelter to over 200 people.
3. We also manage 250 apartments provided by our partner landlords, which we gradually transfer to residents as they integrate.
4. Lastly, we’ve developed specific support programs in mental health, French language training, and vocational learning, to complement our previous efforts.

On a larger scale, Alynéa – Samu Social 69 supports 9,000 people annually through its different services. Our 220 employees are highly committed, innovative, and focused on empowering the individuals we support. Our uniqueness lies in carrying out experiments, showcasing original support models, such as those developed with marginalized individuals, often young people, who had previously rejected all forms of housing.

What do you think are the effective actions currently in place, and what further responses are needed in a political, social, and financial context that is becoming increasingly strained for all stakeholders involved in combating homelessness and responding to the needs of people in extreme poverty?

The problem is systemic, and therefore, the solution must be systemic! The homelessness crisis is primarily driven by the housing crisis. There are too few low-cost homes available. All over France, huge waiting lists exist. In Lyon, for example, it takes an average of 14 months to obtain social housing, and more than 10,000 families are waiting. This creates a domino effect that forces the funding of temporary shelters, which are now more numerous but completely overcrowded. The result is that people on the streets are no longer provided with shelter, despite legal obligations.

A report by the Court of Auditors published in early October highlights that public policies against poverty have been short-term in nature, assuming that homelessness would eventually disappear. The report criticizes chronically underfunded budgets, a lack of investment, and a lack of sectoral structuring. Another study, also published in October by the Alerte collective, shows the effectiveness of investing in social policies in terms of public spending and the costs avoided.

Two policies I’d like to highlight that demonstrate effectiveness:

1. The reception of Ukrainian refugees in 2022: Instead of following the long, laborious, and ineffective integration process typical of France, special offices were set up by local prefectures. As a result, within two hours per family, their administrative situation was resolved, with housing assignments, work rights, family benefits, etc. This approach shows that it’s possible to act efficiently.

2. Finland’s example, where housing policy was developed based on actual needs, and the country succeeded in virtually eradicating homelessness nationwide in 20 years by building and maintaining the necessary housing stock. Cities were revitalized and made habitable, and the society became a global reference in hospitality.

In April, you raised awareness at the “Cercle de la Terre” event preparing for the Université de la terre x Entrepreneurs of the Future Parliament in March 2025, focusing on the issue of homelessness: what would you like to say about it now?

Unfortunately, nothing has changed. I would even say that current debates around financing this policy make us fear the worst, with expected budget cuts despite the fact that 330,000 people are recorded in France as homeless! In the Rhône department, there are 22,000 people temporarily housed and 14,000 waiting for shelter. The number of homeless individuals has never been higher. It’s an unprecedented crisis now affecting women, the elderly—often very elderly—who have been evicted, people with medical conditions who can’t maintain their treatment in such poor conditions, and thousands of children, including infants!!!

This is a reality we cannot look away from. Shelter is an unconditional right, but it seems to be ignored for economic reasons. It’s as if we said that schools could only admit half of the children of school age, and the rest didn’t matter because the budget wasn’t enough! That’s exactly what we’re doing with people in extreme poverty. We’re not allocating enough budget, and collectively, we accept the consequence of letting people survive on the streets.

The streets are a mirror of our society. All the flaws in how our society functions create exclusion. To understand this, I recommend reading the summary of a recent Senate report on homeless women. This report, written by senators from all political backgrounds, thoroughly explains the situation of the 120,000 women currently homeless in France. Many of them come from child welfare services, 25% of them were born in France. They are victims of violence, 15% lost their homes because of it. They are single mothers who can no longer afford to pay rent after a separation, refugees fleeing their countries, or people struggling with mental health issues or addiction. The list goes on!

If the evolution of a society can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable, then we have a lot of progress to make!

Finally, a ray of hope: during the traditional "Fête des Lumières," the city of Lyon selected Alynéa as a partner for its solidarity initiative “les lumignons du cœur.” What do you expect from this event and how can people who aren’t from Lyon support it?

Alynéa – Samu Social 69 is very grateful to have been selected as a solidarity partner for the Fête des Lumières, held from December 5-8, 2024, in Lyon. It’s a major annual event, now internationally recognized. During this festival, the people of Lyon place small candles in glasses in their windows, known as “lumignons.” This year, the sales of these lumignons will benefit our association, providing us with significant media exposure to raise awareness about homelessness. In practical terms, it also brings in local donations, which are extremely useful in providing us with direct financial support.

Of course, our support isn’t limited to Lyon residents. We’ve created the Alynéa – Samu Social 69 Foundation to receive donations, with significant tax benefits—66% for businesses and 75% for individuals. Given the reduction in public funding, which makes up 90% of our budget, financial support from all is essential for this public interest mission: getting exclusion out of sight!

An interview conducted by Coryne Nicq