The situation of a 78-year-old French pensioner who has been sleeping in his car for more than a year and a half, following a family conflict, is shocking public opinion and raising serious social alarms. The case became known through the French media and exposes an extreme reality, marked by loneliness, fragility and failures in social protection.
The man, identified as Yves, lives in the town of Villeneuve-les-Sablons, in the Hauts-de-France region, and is facing a situation described as “serious and dangerous” by French radio RTL.
A family conflict that ended in total rupture
The problem dates back to 2019, when Yves decided to welcome his son into his home after he was evicted for failing to pay expenses. The initial agreement provided for a temporary coexistence, lasting just three months, but it ended up lasting around three years, according to the Spanish digital newspaper Noticias Trabajo.
Over time, frequent conflicts arose and the relationship deteriorated completely. In one of the last arguments, the 78-year-old pensioner left home and, when he tried to return, found the door closed. The son had changed the locks, installed surveillance cameras and a code access system, preventing him from entering his own home.
“He even had cameras installed and a code to enter. It makes me sick. For me, he is no longer my son. How did we get to this point?”, said the pensioner, quoted by the same source.
Sleeping in the car at age 78
Unable to recover his house and without an immediate housing alternative, Yves began sleeping in his car, where he has remained for 19 months. The situation was classified as “not dignified” by journalist Pascal Normand, who visited him and reported the case on an RTL broadcast.
“I went to see him at night, when he was going to bed. It’s a shame”, said the journalist, quoted by the same source, highlighting the risks to the elderly’s health and safety.
Public appeal and emergency aid
Desperate, the 78-year-old pensioner sought help from the gendarmerie, the city council and the city hall, without immediate success. The case gained greater visibility after being publicized by the newspaper L’Oise Hebdo and the program Ça peut vous arriver, presented by Julien Courbet.
Following this media exposure, the Oise town hall notified the pensioner of the allocation of temporary accommodation, while steps are being taken to try to resolve the housing situation.
Immediately, the program’s production managed to guarantee a stay in a hotel for two weeks. At the same time, an online fundraising campaign was launched, which has already exceeded 3,000 euros, according to .
What if this happened in Portugal?
In Portugal, a similar case could fall under Social Security support, namely through social emergency responses, such as temporary accommodation, local intervention teams or support from local authorities.
There are also mechanisms such as the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation and municipal responses to situations of loss of housing, especially when elderly people in particularly vulnerable situations are involved.
However, as in France, family conflicts associated with housing can drag on for years and leave elderly people in a situation of enormous fragility, especially when there is no swift court decision or when social services only intervene after public exposure. Yves’ case thus serves as a clear warning: aging with dignity continues to be a real challenge, even in countries with developed social systems.
Also read:
