News

At the end of May 2026, Julien will connect Liège to Brussels by running and walking, then immediately take on the 20 km of Brussels. One clear goal: raise €100,000 to support the fight against homelessness together with Street Nurses.

20 years! It doesn’t make me any younger… and at the same time, it brings back everything we have built together.

20 years of presence in the field, of consistency and humanity.
20 years that made it possible, among other things, for 230 people to leave the street, for hundreds of professionals to be trained, and for around 200 colleagues and dozens of volunteers to join us – and to build friendships, and sometimes more.

Since 1 January, the reform of unemployment benefits has become a reality for tens of thousands of people in Belgium. Presented as a response to budgetary constraints, it profoundly alters the balance of social protection. By limiting in time a right that served as an essential safety net, the difficulties linked to unemployment do not disappear: they are shifted elsewhere. This shift will have visible effects on social precarity and the risk of homelessness.

Every year on December 10, the world marks Human Rights Day. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — a landmark document enshrining the basic rights of every individual and placing responsibility for their protection in the hands of governments.

While the year-end season is, for many, a time of togetherness, the number of people without a home in Belgium keeps rising. At the same time, support services are under growing pressure. To shine a light on this reality and support lasting solutions, the non-profit Infirmiers de rue is launching its new awareness and fundraising campaign today: “We must rehouse them!”

The end-of-year campaign is a crucial moment for any non-profit. It often determines whether we reach our goals — but setting it up requires significant financial and human investment.

It was in 2020, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, that Matthieu Van Riet, Head of Marketing and Communication at KBC Brussels, joined a Street Nurses team on outreach for a field report. That moment, he says, will remain etched in his memory. Even now, he gets a lump in his throat thinking back on it.

For people living on the streets, feet are much more than just a way to move—they are vital for daily survival. Every day, they walk several kilometers, often with ill-fitting or worn-out shoes. Without regular access to hygiene, clean water or healthcare, foot problems become common and can have serious consequences.

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.