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The link between mental health and homelessness is profoundly complex and bidirectional. The extreme vulnerability experienced by people without housing undermines their psychological balance: chronic stress, isolation, insecurity, and identity loss all contribute to emotional suffering. Conversely, pre-existing mental health issues — such as depression, schizophrenia, or addiction — can lead to social breakdown and exclusion

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.

At Street Nurses, we see every day that hygiene is about much more than being clean. For people experiencing homelessness, having a shower, wearing clean clothes, or simply smelling fresh is often the very first step toward health, dignity, and reintegration. That is why we do not see hygiene as a detail, but as a cornerstone of our methodology in supporting homeless people.
 

In Liège, a team of 10 Street Nurses staff members supports people experiencing homelessness in highly vulnerable situations — every single day. This work is more necessary than ever: each night, hundreds of people sleep outside in our city. Since 2020, the situation has worsened: homelessness is on the rise while our resources are shrinking. By 2026, less than a quarter of our Liège budget will be structurally funded. Without additional support, some outreach rounds will be cancelled, care will be delayed, and housing access postponed.

In this episode of the Positive Changemakers podcast, Émilie Meessen, a trained nurse and co-coordinator of Street Nurses, shares her nearly 20-year commitment to supporting and caring for people experiencing homelessness in Brussels.

She reflects on the evolution of the organisation, the concrete actions carried out daily — frontline care in the street, guidance towards housing and employment — and her ambitious vision: ending homelessness is possible.

A powerful interview showing that social change starts with sincere listening and a collective will to act.

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.

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.