The first renovation and insulation work by Logement Bruxellois was officially launched on Thursday for 78 social housing units around the Brussels Law Courts.
Work on 65 others located near the Place du Jeu de balle will start in 15 days' time, the Brussels housing agency announced.
This programme, dubbed 'Les oubliés du climat,' ('Those climate forgot'), entails the large-scale renovation and insulation of social housing in various districts of the capital, thanks to investments by the City of Brussels and the Société du Logement de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale (SLRB).
The work will make it possible to reduce tenants' heating consumption by an average of 65%, cut CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by 61%; raise the buildings' average energy-efficiency label from E to B ("low energy"); and improve the living comfort of the dwellings.
The menu of the renovation projects further includes insulating the buildings (facades, roofs, window frames, glazing), installing a mechanical ventilation system in the dwellings; bringing the electricity and gas systems into compliance; fire prevention, etc.
The facade cladding will respect the original appearance of the buildings while modernising them. Current tenants will not have to move out of their flats during the works, and social support and communication have been reinforced.
The start of the works, initially planned for the end of 2023, is ahead of schedule, despite the legal and administrative challenges related to such a large-scale plan, challenges related to the health crisis at the start of the project, and current inflation.
The project is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
