A priority district crushed under the heat wave

JAmais she will only admit to living in the sawreations, it is a hassle. Nevertheless, And this, whatever time it has. Similarly, Saadia Chourafi has lived here for forty-five years, she raised her three children there. Therefore, Here it is in front of the district library, which is now called “priority”, after it was classified as “disadvantaged”.

This Saturday morning, it is already very hot. Consequently, Too bad, the library is closed in August, but Saadia does not discuss. Consequently, At 70 years old. Furthermore, here, here, next to Vincent Maurin, mayor of the Bordeaux-Maritime district, this woman in a single block assures that he is “good to live in the daws, even during the heat wave. Furthermore, Come back this winter, and there I will rattle, because we are badly heated! For example, »»

“I listen to the advice: I open the priority district crushed under heat roller shutters at night. For example, I close during the day and I drink water. Nevertheless, I stay safe. In addition, Here, we have real hard walls, not cardboard things, as in the new buildings, ”she asserts. Furthermore, A few steps further. Therefore, on Ginette-Neveu square, while the sun hits hard between concrete buildings, its enthusiasm gives way: “It’s true, you could cook an egg on bitumen. Moreover, »»

In search of freshness – Priority district crushed under heat

A black car burns the pavement. In addition, piles in front of a young woman with scooter. Similarly, The glass opens, two questions, three minutes. Moreover, The car goes back to a cloud of dust. Moreover, The intrusions of police officers from the anti -crime brigade (bac) in the neighborhood no longer surprise anyone.

With Saadia, Cécile, 76, came priority district crushed under heat down from her floor. Furthermore, After fifty-two years of life in the Aubiers, not a scratch. In addition, Not even hot, except outside 40 ° C. “With me, I can endure the heat, I have plants on my balcony and a ceiling fan,” she describes. But I recognize that there is a problem: we do not have a single place at the Aubiers which. offers a welcome with air conditioning. Not even the library, which is closed. So three times a week. I take the tram to cool off in the city center, in a senior club that has the air conditioning. »»

The trees are the pride of the inhabitants and the difference with other priority districts. But the bitumen burns the feet. the concrete radiates the heat, the garbage cans overflow, the battles of supermarket wander on the road, the grass has burned everywhere, plastic bottles accumulate. Everything looks priority district crushed under heat broken, obsolete, burnt. The animation center is also closed in August: “It will be opened again on August 18. specifies Vincent Maurin, and an urban renewal project is underway which plans to boost the floors, create a place, a green space … The lake is not far away, and the prairie des Aubiers nearby. »»

Au 15^e floor, “Remember to drink”

Jean-Pierre lives at 15^e floor of a bar. Shirtless, he decided to spend the day closed shutters. Dozens of pigeons have taken possession of his balcony. from which we see the green lung of the lake, very close. He does not go. “When it’s hot, I receive a call:” Remember to drink “. I do not know if it is the town hall or Aquitanis the social landlord? Finally, it’s nice, we feel less alone. »»

Eddy, 47, lives in the neighboring building. He has never stopped getting involved in the priority district crushed under heat social life of the neighborhood. creating a cultural association which, he says, “squarely” competed in the social center. “Already, we were open in summer. And we proposed to the kids outings. The heat here is intolerable, the feeling in the apartments is terrible, 4 ° C in addition I would say. With me, it goes up to 30 ° C, up to 40 ° C sometimes. The most exposed are seniors and children. »»

“The heat here is intolerable. the feeling in the apartments is terrible”

The “urban renewal” site carried out at the moment generates nuisance: noise, dust. The slab where the children met in the evening. watched by their parents from the windows of the towers, has already disappeared … Kadijatou returns priority district crushed under heat home, bent by a bag of races. Her three children are waiting for him. 14, 10 and 6 years old: “It’s going to be hard these days, you have to prepare. Without the animation center, children no longer go out. They stay in their room, are bored and escape in the evening. I am worried all the time. »»

The social workers in the neighborhood admit it: “The heat episodes increase the behavior of stress, tension among young people. Kadijatou will accompany his children to the lake in the afternoon. They will let off steam a bit and she will blow. The lake is their breathing.

“For children yes, but not for old people,” recalls Eddy. Here there is a feeling of resignation, in ten years everything has deteriorated, as if we had been abandoned. Teen. I took in the face ” The noise and the smell ” [expression de Jacques Chirac, priority district crushed under heat NDLR]now it’s me who says it: our neighborhood has become dirty, without water point and, when it is hot, it stinks. »»