This Sunday, Belgium celebrates Mother’s Day. In June, it will be Father’s Day. These moments, often filled with warmth and family gatherings, also highlight a harsh reality: thousands of children and young people are growing up without a stable home.
Over 13,000 children without a stable home in Belgium
In 2024, 13,182 minors in Belgium are homeless or living without stable housing. That’s nearly a third of the country’s total homeless population. These children and teenagers are staying in emergency shelters, temporary housing, or with relatives. Some are at risk of eviction with their parent(s).
Behind these numbers lies an often invisible reality: uncertainty, instability, and the absence of basic safety. A reality that continues to worsen due to the housing crisis and increasing poverty among families.
Young adults: left behind by housing policies
The situation for young homeless adults (aged 18–25) is just as alarming. Nearly one in five homeless people belongs to this age group. Almost a quarter of them have passed through youth care institutions.
This points to a strong link between institutional pathways and homelessness. Many young people are supported until they turn 18—and then left to fend for themselves.
They are often left out of public policies. Yet poorly managed institutional and family breakups can lead to exclusion, deep poverty, and a lack of psychosocial support.
We must also not forget the many unaccompanied foreign minors and undocumented young adults.
A risk of exclusion
The transition to adulthood is a critical time. Many end up without adequate support and face a brutal housing market, complex administrative procedures, and gaps in healthcare services. This rupture increases their vulnerability.
Today, nearly a quarter of those receiving the Public Social Welfare Centre’s integration income (CPAS) are under 25. Recent government measures could push that number even higher, worsening youth precarity.
Who are young people without a stable home?
The causes of homelessness among young people are multiple:
- Structural: housing crisis, poverty, migration
- Institutional: leaving youth care without follow-up
- Personal: background, gender identity, mental health
Family breakdown is often the first step toward becoming unhoused.
What can we do? Act for homeless youth
There is an urgent need to:
- Develop support pathways toward independence
- Create supported housing for youth exiting institutions
- Strengthen coordination between youth services, mental health, and housing
- Train shelter staff on the specific needs of young people
And most importantly: make the reality of young homeless people visible by amplifying their voices in public debate. Because making them visible is the first step to change.
This Mother’s Day, let’s think of those without a roof
These holidays remind us that not all young people have a home. Not every child has a roof over their head to sleep under or to dream of a future.
In this season of family celebration, let’s not forget those left out of the festivities. Let’s work together to ensure that no child, no young person, is left without a place to call home, without support, without a chance.