Twenty-five women of all ages have found refuge under the reassuring roof of the Emergency Housing (EH) center Jasse de Maurinin Montpellier (south of France), managed by Groupe SOS. Each of them has a unique story, often marked by hardship, that has led them here today. Despite their diverse backgrounds, all are supported by the EH team, who work diligently to identify and address their vulnerabilities and needs. Even when the topics are sensitive and difficult, such as the violence they may have endured.
In this brand-new facility, which has been welcoming women for almost a year now, Tifanny is committed to ensuring that support for victims of violence is as effective as possible. As an educational instructor and the facility’s designated advisor on violence against women, she is pursuing a university diploma specializing in victim care, funded by Groupe SOS. Her primary mission: to encourage open communication. “We can’t force them to talk,” she explains. “But we can create an environment where they feel safe enough to share.”
This challenge is met with compassion by the facility’s team. Thanks to individual apartments, residents regain a sense of privacy and serenity they may have lost. While the studios are fully furnished and equipped, each woman is free to decorate her space as she wishes, fostering a feeling of home. More importantly, the team’s supportive approach has built genuine trust among the residents. Moments of connection and mutual respect emerge naturally. Around 4 p.m., Fatima and Latifa, two of the residents, come down to share homemade Moroccan tea with Tifanny and Cathy, the center’s second specialized educator. They chat for a long while, sharing smiles and memories. The delicious tea is enthusiastically offered to other team members working nearby: Jean Christophe, the director, and Delphine, the administrative assistant.
Of course, life isn’t always rosy, and disputes among neighbors arise here, as they do anywhere. Tensions have occasionally flared, and some residents have voiced complaints. Yet this doesn’t stop Fatima from expressing her gratitude: “Here, it feels like a family.” A victim of fraud, she had found herself homeless. Now, she has reconnected with her passion and former profession: painting. She plans to contribute her talents to the facility by creating a series of Christmas-themed artworks to decorate the communal spaces.
In Montpellier, the Jasse de Maurin, a mixed facility of Groupe SOS Solidarités, brings together under one roof a Family Pension, a Care, Support, and Addiction Prevention Center (CSAPA), and an Emergency Housing (EH) for women. These three integrated services enable residential stabilization and care that is tailored to the specific needs of the residents, within a calm and supportive environment.
Like Fatima, the other residents are starting to settle into this new living space. The team is proactive in ensuring that each woman takes an active role in her support process. For the first time, Tifanny gathers the residents for a meeting. One of the topics on the agenda: how to seek help when experiencing violence. Upon hearing the subject, one resident responds impulsively and unfiltered: “Aside from yelling, screaming, and struggling, I don’t see what else I can do.”
Tifanny had anticipated this reaction and came prepared. She shares key resources, such as the national helpline number, website links, and contact details for other local organizations that can offer support.
University Diploma in violence against women
In connection with the “Domestic Violence” project implemented in several pilot facilities of Groupe SOS Solidarités, this training is offered to the association’s professionals, delivered by the University of Paris 8. With a legal, clinical, and social approach, this diploma enables the teams in the establishments to identify, support, and refer victims of violence, adopting an appropriate professional stance.
“Our door is always open to listen to you.”
Tifanny, educational instructor and advisor on violence against women.
These moments of discussion and awareness-raising are essential. Some forms of violence are not always recognised as such. Posters, flyers, and other materials are visible throughout the facility. However, the team’s main goal is to adapt to the needs expressed by the residents. The professionals ask them how they would prefer to be better informed or supported on the topic. Ideas start to emerge: changing the posters, learning how to use digital alert tools, inviting organisations to come and share their work directly at the center… To conclude the discussion, Tifanny firmly reiterates that the entire team will always be there to listen if they feel like talking. “It’s important to make it clear to them that we are here to help with all their problems, including violence. And to show that it’s not a taboo.“
This is the very ambition of Jasse de Maurin: beyond the physical aspect of the shelter, the team is creating spaces where each woman can regain her routines, rebuild her life projects, break free from isolation, and find support from the team, no matter the difficulties. A valuable support that the residents deeply appreciate. One of their wishes for Christmas? “Just being together, laughing, and forgetting about the problems.”
Professional training on domestic violence
Since 2023, Groupe SOS has been implementing the “Domestic Violence” project in its facilities. The goal? To equip professionals with the tools to identify and understand the mechanisms of intimate partner violence. These training sessions are tailored to the specific needs of each establishment, ultimately enabling the development of tools, the facilitation of working groups, and the strengthening of specialized local partnerships to ensure better listening and care for victims.
Going further
In France, access to housing is a fundamental and unconditional right. Yet, over 1 million people are currently deprived of personal housing, and 300,000 are homeless. Job loss, addiction, domestic violence, family breakdowns—these are just some of the many factors that can push individuals into precarious situations, leading to the loss of stable housing. Among the homeless population, women face an especially heightened vulnerability to the dangers of the street.
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