2023-09-18 18:40:00
“Housing first”, this project for rehousing the homeless which began in the United States, was also launched in the Brussels Region several years ago. The objective is simple: to get the homeless off the streets sustainably, by providing them with housing and support.
The Brussels government had set itself the objective of mobilizing at least 400 housing units, in particular through renovations, by the end of the legislature, by calling on social rental agencies.
A first call for projects was launched for Social Real Estate Agencies (AIS) in 2021.
However, none saw fit to respond in 2021.
In 2022, the call was therefore adapted and relaunched. Here once more, success was not achieved.
Only three AIS showed interest. “This has so far made it possible to make twelve housing units available to homeless people in 2022,” specifies Nawal Ben Hamou, in a parliamentary response, to a question from Brussels MP Matthias Vanden Borre (N-VA).
Ending homelessness takes more than punchy actions
“These two calls for expressions of interest unfortunately did not meet the expected interest from the AIS,” confirms the spokesperson for Nawal Ben Hamou (PS), Brussels Secretary of State for Housing.
”The AIS and the homeless sector analyzed the call for projects together. They did not really adhere to it because the mechanism it provided for capturing housing and allocating it to homeless people seemed too rigid to them and did not correspond to the realities on the ground,” summarizes Laurence Libon, coordinator of Fedais (Federation of Social Real Estate Agencies).
At the same time, a call for projects was launched to municipalities and CPAS in April 2021, to subsidize housing to be made available to people in need. Twenty-five housing units should thus see the light of day, in three municipalities (Anderlecht, Brussels, Watermael-Boisfort) and three CPAS (Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Etterbeek). In total, 1.2 million euros were allocated to these projects.
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With 19 municipalities, 19 CPAS, 16 social housing companies and 24 social rental offices, all of which operate independently of each other, a decisive policy simply cannot be carried out.
”The intention was to mobilize at least 400 housing units using social rental agencies. These results are totally insufficient,” mocks MP Matthias Vanden Borre, who denounces a flop. “Seeing the problems at the Gare du Midi, we also say to ourselves that we should help the homeless more quickly. But these announcements remain meaningless when there is no housing available, continues the Flemish nationalist deputy. With 19 municipalities, 19 CPAS, 16 social housing companies and 24 social rental offices, all of which operate independently of each other, a decisive policy simply cannot be pursued. “
“Tiny houses”, an interesting avenue for helping the homeless?
Alain Maron (Ecolo), Brussels Minister in charge of Social Action, qualifies the criticism. “Housing for the homeless was indeed created during this legislature via entry points other than AIS (private, etc.). For social support, the means are there (3.21 million euros budget in 2023 for Housing first). But, the congestion, in fact, is due to the difficulty of clearing out housing.” The Housing First program thus offers 282 places in the Brussels Region in 2023, according to his office, compared to 103 in 2019. In 2024, the minister plans to reach 311 places. The objective of 400 places, however, will not be achieved…
Nawal Ben Hamou plans reform
Secretary of State Nawal Ben Hamou assures, for her part, that she has changed her mind. She decided, in line with Fedais’s complaints, to opt for a more sustainable solution, within the framework of the AIS reform, in order to modify the system of subsidies for specific groups (homelessness, drug addiction, health mental etc.) The point will be addressed by the government in October.
What if we put an end to homelessness?
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