More than 257,000 people were on a waiting list for social housing in 2022, and some of them have been on the list for years. One Brussels MP is calling for more transparency for those left waiting.
Massive investment in the construction and renovation of social housing could work miracles in tackling the homeless situation in the capital region. However, not enough necessary financial resources are being invested in such projects.
In the meantime, there is a growing demand for affordable housing in Brussels. The waiting list is so long that many people have to wait years before they are allocated social housing. It is also very difficult for prospective tenants to gain insight into their position on that waiting list, further adding to the stress, and leading to a lack of transparency and trust in the allocation process.
Checking own status
Brussels MP for Vooruit.brussels, Fouad Ahidar, has called on competent State Secretary Nawal Ben Hamou to create an online centralised system where people can obtain information about their position, a process which is currently "unnecessarily difficult in Brussels."
"In Flanders, there is already an online centralised system where prospective tenants can consult the status of their file themselves. In Brussels, on the other hand, you only get information through physical visits or telephone contact with the competent authorities," said Ahidar.
"This leads to inconvenience and frustration for both candidate tenants and the authorities themselves. Ahidar added that setting up such a system in Brussels would also reduce the housing company's administrative burden.
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Hamou replied that he would contact the Flemish administration to "see what aspects of their system Brussels could adopt," but he questioned the principle of being able to consult what position people find themselves in on the waiting list.
However, Ahidar argued that this is the main point of interest for people on the waiting list. "This gives prospective tenants the power of knowledge, and affordable housing becomes a real option."
