Soliguide

Soliguide is a multimodal platform providing homeless people and refugees with helpful information. Where can I eat? Shower? Wash my clothes? Get social welfare? These are just some of the questions that worry homeless people and refugees on the streets of Paris and elsewhere.

Soliguide is comprised of a huge database linked to a website, mapping over 4600 structures in three large French cities, a future mobile app, and interactive kiosks that are available directly on the street in order to help orientate hundreds of people, saving time and social services for acute problems. As an App, it also permits non-homeless people to advise on what is available.

Soliguide is sustainable and capable of infinite expansion across Europe and beyond.  It provides choice, and hence self-respect, to diverse yet disadvantaged groups of people. It is easy to use and its graphics are appealing. Local content can easily be added to its robust, flexible and effective structure.  Soliguide has immense social value.

Jury Evaluation:

Soliguide is an application designed to improve the quality of information available to homeless people in cities.  In each large city there is often a range of facilities open to homeless people, but there are limited ways in which a person who is not connected to traditional information networks can see on a map where (s)he can, for instance, shower, sleep safely, eat or drink.  Soliguide fills this gap admirably. As an App, it permits non-homeless people to advise on what is available.  Since homeless people themselves rarely have mobile phones, it is also available in booths in public places in Paris and Bordeaux, and shortly in Nantes. 

It is easy to use and its graphics are appealing; local content has to be added to its robust, flexible and effective structure.  It is sustainable, and capable of infinite expansion across Europe and beyond.  Its social value is immense, since it provides choice, and hence self respect, to a diverse yet very disadvantaged group of people. –EYA Jury report