French families who have been expelled from HLM (French state housing blocks) survive in humble dwellings on the edge of cities, without electricity or running water. To ensure a decent life for their children, the parents do as many odd jobs as they can. Their priority: to preserve the family unit at any price, in order to prevent social services from placing their children elsewhere. Filled with feelings of shame, these families often refuse ( more ...)

French families who have been expelled from HLM (French state housing blocks) survive in humble dwellings on the edge of cities, without electricity or running water. To ensure a decent life for their children, the parents do as many odd jobs as they can. Their priority: to preserve the family unit at any price, in order to prevent social services from placing their children elsewhere. Filled with feelings of shame, these families often refuse all contact with the outside world. In France, there is no specific census to allow us to appreciate the amplitude of the phenomenon. These camps are not easily identified, as they are often hidden, or grouped in very small numbers. After too many years spent in such a precarious state, these families no longer want to go back to living in an HLM. 'It's too late', they say.