The number of people forced to sleep on the streets is rising, and there is a lack of permanent solutions from the authorities, the Red Cross warned on Wednesday.
The non-profit is currently gearing up for the cold weather but warns that homelessness persists throughout the entire year – and it is on the rise.
In 2022, around 7,000 people in Brussels had no place to call home, where they could stay warm, eat, shower, and start the day on the right foot. This number has now increased to 10,000 men, women and children in the capital, according to the latest census by Bruss'Help in early November.
From 2008 to 2024, the number of people sleeping on the streets in the Belgian capital has nearly quadrupled, which the Red Cross says is cause for concern. In Wallonia, over 19,000 individuals, including more than 4,700 children, live outdoors in all types of weather.
No longer limited to big cities
The Red Cross added that the phenomenon is no longer limited to big cities. "About 30% of the homeless live in small or medium-sized towns," the organisation noted.
Due to the absence of a year-round shelter system, the non-profit has been strengthening its activities "year after year," and now operates continuously through both winter and summer.
As a result, 'Red Cross houses' in La Louvière, Couvin, Verviers, and Liège have transitioned from winter shelters to permanent facilities. The organisation is also increasing street patrols, particularly in Mons, Charleroi and Arlon.
In the capital, 11 local sections are attending to urgent needs by distributing hot drinks, sandwiches, hygiene products, clothes and blankets. They also provide basic medical care directly on the streets.
Train Hostel Schaerbeek. Credit: Belga
Two daytime shelters, known as 'warming centres', offer food and opportunities to rebuild social connections. One centre in Saint-Gilles, open year-round, served 30 people per session in 2023; it now serves around 80.
The two emergency shelters, Belliard and Train Hostel, have both reached their maximum capacity.
"The urgency is not simply to offer a temporary shelter for the night," emphasised the Red Cross. It is about "creating a pathway to support; a route towards stability and social reintegration."
