Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Social housing units amounting to 1% received approval from the Brussels parliament on February 1, 2025, to be dedicated exclusively to homeless people under a unanimous vote, which resulted in 8 favourable responses.
The Brussels parliament made history through its new proposal that requires homeless persons to have access to dedicated social housing while striving to establish permanent living solutions for them.
We want to use 1% of social housing for the homeless,
says Kalvin Soiresse Njall (Ecolo), whose party initiated the measure.
It’s a kind of Marshall Plan that is supported by the sector,
he continues.
We no longer want to work separately but merge the powers of housing policy and assistance to individuals.
The proposal was approved with 8 votes in favour and 68 abstentions out of a total of 76 votes. “A first”, says the chairman of the Brussels parliament, Bertin Mampaka (MR).
The proposal aligns with increasing calls from the aid sector to move beyond temporary shelters and adopt long-term solutions like the “Housing First” model. Another European model has shown its effectiveness by making long-term housing the central component of dealing with wide-ranging social problems. The proposal supports Bruss’s current action plan while promoting permanent housing solutions and unified homelessness control strategies for all stakeholders.
The accepted resolution demonstrates increasing worry regarding Brussels’ mounting homeless population and their constrained possibilities to access social accommodations. Official research by the Doucheflux homeless assistance organisation discovered that permanent housing solutions deliver better value than allocating funds for emergency relief programs.
Administration costs resulting from yearly emergency assistance expenditure surpass the costs associated with housing individuals for an entire year, according to research. This financial insight supports the adoption of the “Housing First” model, which prioritises providing homes without preconditions and has proven effective in several European cities.
However, challenges remain significant. Currently, 50,000 Brussels families are waiting in line for social housing, and they are facing a 12-year wait period. The critics maintain that this program successfully tackles homelessness, yet it may further deprive homeless people seeking social housing benefits.
Fouad Ahidar (Team Fouad Ahidar) expressed this concern succinctly:
On ne va pas déshabiller Paul pour habiller Jean,
emphasising that helping one group should not come at the expense of another.
Fans of housing and assistance policies and integration believe these policies will provide a lasting solution to the homelessness problem.
The resolution connects to multiple EU-level programs which focus on both reducing homelessness and providing economical housing solutions. The European Commission began making progress through the European Affordable Housing Plan and declared that sustainable solutions must be established to fix the housing supply problems.
What are the current trends in homelessness in Brussels?
More than 5,300 people lived without stable housing or in inadequate conditions throughout Brussels in the year 2020. The pandemic’s severe infection caused both a greater need for emergency housing services and uncovered fundamental shortcomings in existing housing regulations.
During the pandemic, the European Parliament used a building to create an emergency shelter for homeless women who faced domestic violence risks.
While such efforts provided immediate relief, experts like Freek Spinnewijn from FEANTSA noted that shelters are only “a sticking plaster” for deeper systemic issues. The “Housing First” model has gained traction as a viable solution across Europe.
Through local service collaborations and landlord partnerships in Lisbon, ÉUMA CASA successfully housed more than 140 homeless people in secure residences. The approach used for social housing improvement in Brussels has the potential to handle the expanding waiting list of residences.
The EU implements the European Affordable Housing Plan as a supply boost initiative by building new projects while increasing funding within European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) programs.
Protecting the right to housing remains a key objective in European policymaking since the target to eliminate homelessness by 2030 was established by policymakers who declared that every person deserves access to essential living accommodations.
