Limburg (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The symbolic foundation stone for a new housing policy was set on Stadsplein by SAAMO Limburg and other Woonzaak organisations. The European Committee of Social Rights deemed the Flemish housing policy insufficient in its recent decision.
SAAMO Limburg and other Woonzaak organizations together with SAAMO Limburg placed a symbolic foundation stone at the Stadsplein in Genk for a new housing policy framework.
Flemish housing policy received criticism from the European Committee of Social Rights through their decision that found the current policy insufficient. The activists demanded that Flemish institutions unite with local governments to enhance housing quality standards.
Wearing construction clothing along with helmets and yellow vests, the demonstrators employed wheelbarrows to demonstrate their requirement for policy modification. The gathering emphasized nine housing requirements that Woonzaak sought from authorities, such as greater social housing availability and better housing allowances alongside better housing standards and homelessness prevention tactics.
“With 70 organizations, we filed a complaint with the European Committee of Social Rights of the Council of Europe,”
says Nathalie Pirenne, community worker at SAAMO Limburg.
“And we were proven right.”
“We are taking this action because we want to work together with the Flemish government and local authorities on a better housing policy,”
Pirenne continues. The wall that the activists are building on the Stadsplein in Genk also includes the 9 housing demands of the Woonzaak.
“First of all, we want more social housing.”
“More housing allowances should be provided for people who are entitled to social housing but are forced to rent on the private rental market because they are on a waiting list,”
Pirenne further summarizes the housing demands.
“In addition, the quality of housing must also improve and homelessness must be tackled.”
“We chose Genk because the city is already taking a number of good steps,”
Pirenne explains.
“14 % of all homes here are social housing, much more than the standard of 9% that the Flemish government is proposing. In addition, they have started a phased introduction of a certificate of conformity. With this, they want to examine the quality control of the private rental market. Furthermore, a number of modular homes for the homeless have been created.”
An example of a Limburg city that is not doing well according to SAAMO Limburg is Hasselt.
“They only have 5.5% social housing,”
says Pirenne.
“Certainly as a provincial capital, they have an exemplary function and they really should try to achieve that 9 percent. They have indicated that they want to build more social housing, something we are happy with.”
How do Genk and Hasselt compare in housing policy performance?
Activists chose Genk to symbolically execute this operation because the city had achieved an exceptional social housing rate of 14% while surpassing the 9% target set by the province. Genk implemented a certificate of conformity system that offers checks on private rental housing over time in order to improve quality.
The city further constructed temporary modular homes to address homelessness. Hasselt’s status as provincial capital does not match the social housing standard due to its low rate of 5.5%. Activists maintain that Hasselt needs to boost its speed in implementing social housing plans until it reaches regional standards and becomes a model for other municipalities.
