Cutting the ribbon for La Plénitude in Friar’s Bay. From left: ALEFPA administrator Hélène Micot-Bride, Collectivité Vice-President Michel Petit, Le Manteau Director Audrey Gil, Préfet Vincent Berton, ALEFPA President Michel Caron and ALEFPA Territorial Director Djaunel Aouanevr.
MARIGOT--On the occasion of the visit of President of l'Association Laïque pour l'Education, la Formation, la Prévention et l'Autonomie (ALEFPA), Michel Caron, two buildings containing apartments were recently inaugurated, one in Friar’s Bay and the other in French Quarter to house vulnerable persons.
The Césaria residence in French Quarter at 2, Rue Max Allen, has three apartments and a reception office for residents of this area, while La Plénitude in Friar's Bay offers six apartments to accommodate 20 people in the two buildings.
La Plénitude was purchased by ALEFPA with its own funds and Césaria was rehabilitated after Hurricane Irma and is rented. The State partly finances the operation. The apartments are managed by the homeless shelter Le Manteau and ALEFPA.
Thanks to ALEFPA Le Manteau was able to benefit from logistical, technical and, above all, financial support, which enabled it to release funds to renovate and fit out the two buildings. These inaugurations mark an important step in the development of suitable housing for the most vulnerable people.
The purpose of this housing is to be able to accommodate families or single persons whose social or psychological situation makes it difficult to access conventional housing. In these places, they find a roof over their heads that they are refused everywhere else, and support so that one day they can become independent. They pay a small monthly fee, calculated on their income, as rent. An educational counsellor is present for the residents who can benefit from food aid or the solidarity grocery truck that comes by regularly.
Préfet Berton thanked all the partners that had enabled this project to come to fruition. Direct access to housing to reintegrate people who are homeless or have problems accessing housing was made a priority by the President of the Republic in 2017.
A third building in Colombier, will be opened in the coming months. St. Martin still lacks the Integrated Reception and Orientation Service, which should be set up in the coming weeks and will be managed by the Red Cross, which is authorised to choose the beneficiaries of the accommodation.
ALEFPA has been present for 50 years in Guadeloupe, 10 years in Martinique and now in St. Martin since the merger with Le Manteau in 2021. This large association, with 4,000 employees, has a strong presence in overseas territories.
