Rich Parisians vs. the Homeless

On first glance, Paris’s planned new emergency homeless shelter looks like a model of good practice. Designed by Moon Architectures to house a modest 200 people, its low-rise buildings clad with wooden shingles are approachable-looking and unobtrusive. The lightweight, temporary structure is easily de-assembled and moved, while its parkland location means it isn’t being squeezed into a tightly packed neighborhood. But despite the low-key aesthetics, the proposed shelter is probably the most controversial homeless facility Paris has ever seen. The reason: it’s located on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement, one of the wealthiest, most gilded spots on the planet.

Not only will the shelter spoil the neighborhood, locals protest, it will do so as part of a pointed attack on privilege from socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo. As one local put it in this video: