News

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.

20 February is the International Day of Social Justice. It's a significant day, given the rise of extremism and anti-social policies around the world.

Social housing in Brussels is in crisis: too few homes, interminable waiting lists, dilapidated buildings, and sometimes chaotic management... As budget cuts threaten, a collective of associations is calling for this essential solution to guarantee decent and affordable housing for all not to be abandoned.

Read this opinion co-written and signed by several associations in the sector. 

I'm running and voting to end homelessness!

For the 17th participation of Street Nurses in the 20 KM of Brussels, we are focusing on the particular political context of this year. Indeed, 2024 represents a pivotal moment: a "super-electoral" year that combines the European, legislative and regional elections on Sunday 9 June with the local elections on Sunday 13 October.

Balloon and QR code unravel political views on homelessness.

Brussels, 26 May 2024

Under the slogan "We walk and vote for the end of homelessness", Street Nurses npo is taking part in the 20 kilometers of Brussels for the 17th time. This year's race falls just before the June 2024 elections. Street Nurses' 221 runners are therefore running with a specific T-shirt and a balloon. Via a QR code, these take the public to a web page where the Brussels party programmes are dissected according to measures that contribute to ending homelessness, with an emphasis on housing and mental health care.

On 18 April, the political debate organised by the homelessness sector was attended by various members of the French-speaking parties: Delphine Chabbert (PS), Vincent De Wolf (MR), Alain Maron (Ecolo), Françoise De Smedt (PTB), Christophe De Beukelaer (Les Engagés) and Charles Hosten (DéFI).

Then, on 13 May, the Dutch-speaking debate took place with the 6 main parties: Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), Els Rochette (Vooruit.Brussels) , Benjamin Dalle (CD&V), Sven Gatz (Open Vld), Jan Busselen (PVDA), Cieltje Van Achter (N-VA).

The year 2023 was marked by two major concerns that, as always with Streetnurses, lead to action quickly: creating housing for our patients and improving their mental health.

For more information, download our summarized activity report!

Access to decent housing is an absolute necessity to reintegrate homeless people into society. It’s the most important condition to feel better and to undertake the necessary steps at the social level or regarding one’s physical/mental health. Nevertheless, our patients encounter difficulties in obtaining a home: Eileen and Aymeric, social workers at Street Nurses, tell us about their experiences.

Mental health is one of the key elements of homelessness because it can be both the cause and the consequence of living on the street. Access to quality support and treatment is therefore essential for the sustainable reintegration of homeless patients with psychological or psychiatric disorders.

On Monday 25 September, Street Nurses went on air with Arabel to discuss its memorandum ahead of the 2024 elections! We were delighted to be able to share our demands with Tarik Laabi and all the listeners!