A new study published by the King Baudouin Foundation highlights the hidden side of homelessness: people with no abode who are taken in by relatives or other well-wishers – as opposed to living in shelters or on the street.
At least 27% and up to 43.6% of homeless adults have been staying temporarily with a family member, friend or third party, according to the study, published on Friday.
This is the third annual survey on homelessness conducted by teams from the Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Work, the State and Society (CIRTES) at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) and the Lucas Centre at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), supported by the King Baudouin Foundation.
Largest homeless group
Using data collected from 356 grassroots organisations, the researchers were able to draw up an inventory of the phenomenon in Tournai, the German-speaking community, and nine municipalities in Walloon Brabant (Chaumont-Gistoux, Jodoigne, Grez-Doiceau, Nivelles, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Rebecq, Tubize, Walhain, Wavre).
In Flanders, the study covered Boom-Mechelen-Lier in the district of Brugge, several municipalities in West Flanders, the coastal region between Middelkerke and Wenduine, Kempen and Waasland.
Homeless persons living with friends, relatives or well-wishers made up the largest of the seven situations analysed in the study, the others being: living in public spaces, emergency accommodation, hostels, institutions, non-conventional places such as a garage or squat, and living under the threat of eviction within a month.
“This confirms the existence of ‘hidden’ homelessness (…) The homeless and roofless people we see in public places are just the tip of the iceberg,” the Foundation stressed.
Women more likely to stay with acquaintances
It also found that women and children were more likely to stay temporarily with acquaintances.
For Quentin Ervyn, President of the Urban Social Network in Tournai, the importance of support from family and friends also highlights the need to individualise incomes, to avoid the risk of financial loss by taking in a relative in need.
For years, many associations have been calling for the status of cohabitant to be abandoned so that the household’s situation no longer has an impact on the calculation of replacement benefits (social security, unemployment, disability, etc.).
In all, the research teams counted 7,912 homeless or roofless people, including 888 in Walloon Brabant, 504 in Tournai and 192 in the German-speaking Community.
In Flanders, the Kempen and Waasland region had the most homeless persons (1,720), followed by Middenkust (1,126).
Next homeless count
Since the count began in 2020, 16,123 homeless people have been identified, 72.7% of them adults. The remainder were children, sharing their parents’ housing conditions.
A similar percentage of homeless children was observed this year in Walloon Brabant and the German-speaking Community. In Tournai, the percentage was about 19%.
The children have been staying mainly in shelters, transit accommodation or temporarily with family or friends.
The next count will take place at the end of 2023. Collaboration is already planned with Ghent, Leuven and Antwerp while discussions are underway with La Louvière, Mons, Verviers and the province of Luxembourg.
For the first time, funding from the Walloon Region is planned, via the new Walloon Observatory on Homelessness.
