PariSolidaire brings generations together
Ile-de-France region, France, Spain
In order to respond to the shortage of student accommodation and the isolation of elderly people, Aude Messéan and Bénédicte Laplace-Chatin set up the non-profit association Le PariSolidaire in 2004. Drawing inspiration from the successful "Vivir y convivir" ("Live and live together") experiment in Spain begun in 1997, the scheme first of all developed in Paris before being extended to other French towns and cities. The idea is simple: to bring together young people in search of accommodation with senior citizens who are looking for company and either want someone to share everyday chores or want to supplement their income.
The scheme involves a senior citizen making a room available to a student either free of charge, simply in exchange for their company or the sharing of chores, or in return for a financial contribution. The association assumes responsibility for ascertaining each individual's expectations and putting the two parties concerned into contact with each other. It also monitors the flat-sharing arrangements. The association asks for an annual contribution from students for each academic year (300 euros in the case of a free room, 150 euros if the room is rented) and from the senior citizens involved (120 euros).
It should be noted that the student is not there to replace a carer or nurse but simply to provide company or render a few small services. The first "couples" were formed in September 2004, since when the scheme has developed in twenty or so French towns and cities.
In Paris, which is a student city par excellence, 130 rooms have been occupied in this way since January 2007. Since 2004 (the year the association was established), 250 senior citizens have taken in 400 students (out of 1,200 registered). The renewal rate from one year to the next is low as the association sees its scheme as a springboard for the young person to find his or her own accommodation and not as a permanent solution. Moreover, 20 to 30% of senior citizens are turned down because the accommodation is unsuitable - the student must have his or her own room - or because the elderly person does not have a minimum of independence.
The association plays an active role in bringing people together: the PariSolidaire team determines the candidates' profiles: apart from establishing the members' expectations (a friendly presence, someone to keep an eye on them, sharing of chores or supplementary income) and checking the accommodation, it undertakes the task of identifying "ideal" partnerships in terms of individual personalities. In all cases, registration by questionnaire is supplemented by an interview. It goes without saying that the success of a harmonious relationship principally depends on the selection of candidates and the compatibility of the future "couple".
Accordingly, the association has drawn up a "conviviality charter", which it asks its members to peruse and subscribe to. Its approach is to employ the same working methods as a company, with the same demands in terms of thoroughness and success, and yet retain the availability and provide the sympathetic ear typical of the voluntary sector, free from any pressures with regard to profitability.
80 year-old Mrs R. did not want to stay at home alone but turned down the idea of a companion whom she would have had "breathing down [her] neck all the time". She was looking for someone who would run a few errands for her (shopping, going to the post office or bank, etc) and bring a little life into her home simply by being there.
80 year-old Mrs K. has a bedroom with a separate shower-room in her home. She is very active and is surrounded by her family, her children and grandchildren, and really has no need for any additional income. However, she offered to make a room available to help a student, expressing one somewhat unusual wish: she wanted instruction in how to use a computer!
These examples testify to the undeniable success of PariSolidaire, which is helping, with the work it does, to develop inter-generational relations by fostering dialogue and solidarity among all age groups, in a spirit of tolerance and mutual understanding.
