Centre Protestant de Rencontre CPR

The Centre Protestant de Rencontre CPR sits in Nice, in a building you would walk past without a second glance. Behind that unremarkable frontage, volunteers run a support service for people without stable housing or living in precarious situations. Its main tool sounds modest: making sure no one loses their rights for want of an address.

The core service is domiciliation, an official postal address given to people who have none of their own. Without one, a person struggles to access healthcare, benefits or even important mail. An address here opens access to medical coverage, legal aid and social benefits from bodies like the CAF, MSA and social security. Volunteers keep the centre running all year, with mail available for collection on set days. The same team helps with health insurance, taxes and the administrative obstacles that pile up.

The service welcomes people without a fixed address, travellers, those in irregular situations or under legal protection, and people leaving prison. Signing up means showing a connection to the area, through work, kids in school nearby or a stay in a local shelter. The centre is part of the Fédération de l'Entraide Protestante and works alongside local government services and other non-profits. All of this sits within a departmental plan against poverty and a departmental action plan for housing and shelter. Beyond the paperwork, someone is there to listen, and for many that is the first step back toward stability.