Macron’s FAILURE: French president admits failing on campaign pledge

Speaking to reporters on a visit to Orléans in central France last July, the young centrist had pledged to turn 62 budget Formule 1 hotels into shelters and provide “worthy” housing conditions for about 6,000 homeless people, including migrants and refugees.

He said at the time: “I want emergency shelters everywhere. I don’t want men and women in the street.”

However, in an address to the presidential press corps on Tuesday, Mr Macron confessed his government had not managed to fulfil its key campaign promise to put a roof over everyone’s head by the end of December.

He said: “We failed.” The French president said the issue “remains a top priority and we will do everything within our power to achieve this goal”. 

He added: “That said, we cannot just focus on creating more shelter spaces.

“You cannot just put someone up in a hotel room and expect them to find their way in life – you won’t be helping them integrate into society.”

Mr Macron also said government and local officials were looking at different solutions to end the crisis.

The latest victim of France’s homeless crisis was a 52-year-old woman who had been living rough on the capital’s streets for more than three years, according to Le Parisien.

She was found dead by a passer-by in Paris’ ninth arrondissement on Monday night. 

Dominique Bordin, a Paris official in charge of combating homelessness, told the French daily Le Figaro that the key to preventing the death of homeless adults was to come up with more personalised solutions to help get people off the streets.

Ms Bordin said: “It’s not just about creating more shelter spaces, but about meeting the needs of vulnerable homeless people in order to convince them to seek or accept help.”