News

Homelessness continues to rise across Europe, with nearly 1.2 million people without a home. Yet one approach has proven successful in many countries: Housing First. The first projects emerged in New York in the 1990s and inspired numerous policies since.

October 17 marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. A symbolic date, but also a wake-up call in a context where austerity policies are weakening the social aid systems in Belgium. Recent measures — such as time-limited unemployment benefits, the abolition of the Winter Plan, harsher migration policies, and job regime reforms — are deepening inequalities and increasing the vulnerability of millions across the country.

On 14 October, thousands of citizens, workers and associations will take to the streets.
Street Nurses will stand by their side.
Not to defend a privilege. Not to shout into the void.
We are taking to the streets to remind everyone of a simple but essential truth: political decisions shape our lives — and today, these choices are making people poorer, dividing and excluding.

October 10: A day to connect mental health and homelessness

On October 10, we mark both World Mental Health Day and the International Day Against Homelessness. Two important causes that are often separated, despite being deeply intertwined.

Living on the street means living with insecurity, isolation, and fear. It means being exposed to constant stress that damages both the body and the mind. And when mental health starts to decline, without support or housing, ending up on the street becomes almost inevitable.

Precarity is not just a social issue — it’s a public health issue.

The situation of people without housing in Wallonia has been deteriorating year after year. Recent counts show that nearly 20,000 people in Wallonia are currently living on the streets or without stable accommodation. Behind these figures are organizations that provide shelter day and night and work towards sustainable rehousing of the most vulnerable – such as Street Nurses.

In Brussels’ public space, signs of hostile architecture are multiplying: sloped benches, spiked ledges, sound deterrents, decorative fences… all designed to prevent people from staying too long. Behind this lies a clear intent: to push poverty out of sight, even if it makes life harder for those most vulnerable.

On 30 June 2025, our colleague Hélène took part in the City Council of Liège to challenge the authorities on the worsening homelessness in their municipality. A city where housing solutions are far too scarce, where the modular housing project was hijacked and where concrete measures are still awaited. Social support services will also see their funding cut, and associations risk no longer receiving support from any level of government in Liège.

A strong society is built by all citizens. When some sleep rough, the plans need revising. With the Lisbon Declaration, the European Union promised to lay the foundations so that everyone can access decent housing.

In June 2021, during Portugal’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, many countries signed the Lisbon Declaration, committing themselves, through five key priorities¹, to end homelessness across Europe by 2030.

Faced with the worrying increase in figures, Brussels associations and businesses are calling for political commitment to combat homelessness.

Brussels, 18 June 2025.
9,777. That is the exact number of people currently living without stable accommodation in Brussels, an increase of 25% in just two years! These figures were revealed in the latest census published on 18 June by Bruss'Help. This is a reality that is becoming entrenched in the very heart of our capital city.

A significant loss of income due to cuts in tax relief on donations...

To meet growing needs in the fight against extreme poverty, private fundraising has become essential for our organisations. Aware of the limited resources of public authorities, we have spent years building networks of individual donors to bridge the gap. These donations enable us to launch innovative social projects that receive little or no public funding, reinforce understaffed services, and upgrade our infrastructure to improve quality.

Nearly 50,000 people are currently homeless in Belgium. Behind this staggering number lie thousands of broken paths, suspended lives, families, men, women, and children living in extreme precariousness. In 2024, all three regions of the country updated their counts: the findings are alarming, and time is running out.

2024 will have been a year of learning, but in spite of ourselves: the life of our association is not always smooth sailing, and mistakes are a source of learning.