5 of those granted by the association in 2002 24

Entrepreneurs in bankruptcy, small traders who put the key under the door or even employees municipal arriving more to complete their purposes of month: associations for assistance to the poor did not have the habit of this type of population in their tenure. It is these patterns we see emerge in recent weeks in the social grocery stores, adding to the traditional public problems worsen also. At Toulouse, for example, the French Red Cross food distribution points have seen their attendance double over the past three months. Same trend in Redon in the West, a town of 25,000 inhabitants, where the increase was 26 last month to food aid and to the locker room. "We observe the emergence of three new faces of poverty since a few weeks," explains Didier Piard, Director of social welfare to the Red Cross. Retirees who come regularly in our food distribution centres, but in our social and health institutions also; employees, including some work yet full and CDI but with low remuneration; Finally, students, especially in big cities, just ask to eat.

Small patterns in bankruptcy

Same observation to the popular aid: "those who already came to see us come more often and for more extensive needs." "And entirely new profiles as small patterns in bankruptcy which bank accounts are blocked, turn also to us," said Henriette Steinberg, General Secretary of the Board of Directors of the popular relief.

For all of the interviewed associations, the financial and economic crisis accentuates especially older trend: "worsening since a few weeks ago, it is true, but at the beginning of the year 2008, as a result of the increase in food, energy prices and rents, the situation has clearly deteriorated", reflects Patrick Dugois, Delegate General of Emmaus France.

A conclusion shared by Catholic relief services, today publishes its annual survey on poverty in France (1). From the figures, some public themselves are clearly vulnerable and could see their precarious increase again in the coming months. It is notably more than 50 years (19.5 of those granted by the association in 2002, 24.1 in 2007) and single-parent families (60 of the families received in 2007), most often of young mothers. "The public are not new but they increase strongly and are very exposed to the risk of unemployment." "Suddenly, the embellished relative that we have seen on some areas in 2007 could be challenged next year," explains Pierre Levené, Secretary General of the Catholic relief.

Of many evictions

With the increase in precarious, several associations received last week by Martin Hirsch, High Commissioner for active solidarities against poverty, pleaded for the implementation of new indicators of poverty, to establish a diagnosis reliable and rapid worsening of the situation. Monitoring of the Bank unpaid or with unpaid rents could serve as a basis. 500,000 Households today are greater than or equal to two months rent unpaid, or 96 increase over the past four years. A delicate situation that concerns the associations of the evictions in number in April 2009, when the winter truce ends. "The Government must make a commitment that there will be no forced evictions in the spring." "There is a tax shield, a shield for the banks, we want a shield for the poor," concludes Patrick Dugois of Emmaus France.