Kortrijk (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): In March 2022, Kortrijk launched a project aiding homeless individuals, providing housing and comprehensive support, including medical, social and mental health services. It has assisted 250 people, addressing various needs and significantly reducing homelessness in the city.
In March 2022, Kortrijk started a project to help homeless people. The project offers not just a place to stay but also support for different areas of their lives. So far, it has helped about 250 homeless individuals, which is 60 percent of the total homeless population in the city. The project does more than just give people a place to live. It offers complete support. This includes medical help like check-ups and medicine to keep them healthy. Social support helps them with things like getting ID, financial aid and finding a stable home. There’s also help for mental health, with counseling and therapy to deal with problems like trauma and addiction that many homeless people face.
What services does the Kortrijk project provide to support homeless individuals?
It has been said that the project in Kortrijk is successful because it helps people in a complete way. It not only gives immediate help but also helps individuals take charge of their lives again. By offering different services based on what each person needs the project has made great progress in reducing homelessness in the city and giving hope to those who need it.
One main goal is to help homeless people see doctors regularly and this has worked for 70 out of 100. Almost half of them have also fixed their health insurance. But still, 2 out of 3 homeless people have health problems. For 27 out of 100, these problems are about their mental health. 14 out of 100 have long-term physical issues and 5 out of 100 have physical disabilities.
The street nurses work at a shelter for homeless people in Kortrijk and also walk around parks. Karima Riahi, one of the nurses, says they help everyone who needs it. Their tasks include checking blood, caring for wounds, and providing hygiene help. Karima Riahi, mentioned that “I’ve learned a lot from this job, and it feels great to see how thankful the homeless are. We’ve helped some find homes, but it can take time. We never give up, which is different from regular care.” This project includes about 120 local groups that help with welfare and care, getting government funding until the end of 2024. The ‘From Street to Care’ group has organizations like Wit-Gele Kruis and Stad Kortrik.
