Brussels (Brussels Morning) – Médecins du Monde and Samusocial urge political action as homelessness rises. They highlight the increase in vulnerable profiles and call for year-round support and inclusive legislation for medical care.
Given the increase in the number of homeless people and their “more vulnerable profiles,” two non-profits are calling on “the various political levels to adapt to the dynamic reality of the street,” according to a joint press release by the humanitarian organisations Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) and Samusocial.
Over recent decades, the number of people lying on the streets has skyrocketed. While 1,724 homeless people were registered during the very first census of homeless people in Brussels in 2008, this figure rose to 7,134 by 2022. “This represents an increase of nearly 400%, which also translates into an exponential increase in medical needs on the streets,” stress Médecins du Monde and Samusocial.
How Do Vulnerable Profiles Impact Homeless Services?
At the same moment that homelessness is at its peak, the number of weak profiles is also more prevalent. “The ageing of the population” is increasingly echoed on the streets, explains Julie Bottu, Quality Director at Samusocial. Chronic illnesses, most usually cancer or diabetes, are more frequent among older people. In addition, there are more single women, mothers, and unaccompanied children every year, notes Julie Bottu.
What Challenges Do Homeless Centers Face with Seasonal Closure?
“Each of these profiles has distinct and complex care needs, which makes our work in the reception centres all the more difficult,” explains Pierre Van Heddegem, head of Belgian projects at Médecins du Monde. He criticises the “seasonal logic” of centres closing after winter is over, “and causing sudden and sometimes dangerous breaks in care.”
Why is Fedasil’s Policy Criticized by Non-Profits?
Van Heddegem also underscores the failure of Fedasil’s (Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers) policy for non-Ukrainian refugees, which forces many migrants or refugees onto the roads or into squats with no access to medical care.
What Mental Health Risks Do Homeless Individuals Face?
The non-profits demonstrate that homeless people are more mentally weak and have a higher risk than average of evolving depression, addiction or psychosis. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy problem, homeless people “found themselves more fast in a downward spiral towards homelessness.”
Samusocial and Médecins du Monde are calling for a response from politicians. They appeal to keep centres open all year round rather than in winter only, and demand “inclusive legislation that shields vulnerable people and does not exclude medical care.”
