There are 38 unlawfully vacant homes in Saint-Josse-Ten-Noode in the midst of a serious housing crisis, a report by the Brussels Assembly for the Right to Housing (RBDH) has revealed.
The organisation has lodged a complaint about the vacant homes, BX1 reported on Thursday. The vacancies constitute a violation of the Brussels Housing Code, which stipulates that no building can be left unoccupied for a period of more than 12 months.
In theory, public authorities may intervene if a private property is unoccupied and lease it as social housing for a period of nine years. This has only occurred once in Brussels.
As for Saint-Josse, the 38 homes were acquired by the municipality.
"These houses had been purchased to be renovated and to make them available to residents, because the municipality is experiencing a major housing crisis. The waiting list is enormous," local politician Philippe Boïketé (PS) told Bx1.
The budget for their renovation was never voted on and Boïketé says the continued disuse of the homes is "intolerable".
Groen has complained about the situation multiple times and the RBDH has now filed a complaint with the Brussels-Capital Region. They hope the initiative will lead to the homes being put back on the market.
Saint-Josse has three months to prove that the property is occupied or justify the vacancy of the property. Otherwise it may subject to a fine.
On Sunday, the municipality of Saint-Josse is holding a re-run of its municipal elections, after irregularities with proxy votes nullified the results.
