Brussels' biggest homeless census took place on Wednesday night, with the data serving to inform the government about the scale of the problem. But the count is just one aspect of the non-profit sector's year-round work.
400 volunteers led by non-profit Bruss'help combed all 62 square kilometres of Brussels on Wednesday night between 23:00 and 00:00. Groups were allocated to designated zones and tried to count every single homeless person living on the street.
The census was carried out with assistance from the police, public transport operator STIB, railway operator SNCB, community support officers, social services (CPAS), Brussels Environmental Agency and even carpark operators. CPAS employees conducted a survey with every homeless person they encountered to identify their specific needs and establish a connection with individuals.
Bruss'help organises the count every two years. This eighth edition sought to maximise public and private participation and saw "unprecedented" public engagement with community support officers from 17 out of the 19 communes taking part in the count, Bruss'help adviser Adèle Pierre told The Brussels Times.
"The census provides a snapshot of the phenomenon; it takes a strong team to make it happen," Pierre said. "We could never have done it without the help of all the volunteers and all the people who contributed."
Credit: Bruss'help / Titouan De Wolf
An invisible population
People living on the street are just the "tip of the iceberg" of Brussels' homeless population. Homelessness also extends to people living precariously with friends, families or third parties. This cohort, along with people sleeping rough, made up 33.8% of Bruss'help's last count in 2022.
People sleeping rough accounted for just a third of the total homeless population in Brussels when the last census was done in 2022.
"One category of homelessness is people sleeping on sofas in an emergency situation for want of a better solution," says Pierre. "It is extremely difficult to gather any information about these people."
Nevertheless, people living on the street have specific needs and Bruss'help is already preparing for a cold winter when harsh weather can be fatal. When the extreme cold plan is activated, the organisation takes careful temperature checks. As soon as it drops below zero, emergency accommodation opens for those with nowhere else to go.
A federal centre that welcomes homeless people in the winter. Credit : Belga/ Nicolas Maeterlinck
Where happens with the data?
The data collected on Wednesday evening will be submitted to a governmental report that will be published in spring. The last count (conducted on 8 November 2022) recorded 7,134 homeless people. There are fears the figure now exceeds 10,000.
Pierre hopes the findings will raise awareness about the growing problem and lead to measures to tackle the issue. Yet she cautions that increasing the number of emergency places and reception capacity are only "emergency solutions" rather than robust solutions.
She points to initiatives such as Housing First, which seeks to provide longer-term solutions to homelessness, rather than accommodation that lasts just a few days.
Credit: Marc Wallican - W13
The figures also act as an "advocacy tool" for a non-profit sector with little funding, stretched resources and staff on the brink of burnout. In March, Brussels charities went on strike for the first time in five years with workers calling for greater support from the government.
Pierre praised the huge turnout for the census but highlighted the work that night-time volunteers carry out 365 days a year to alleviate poverty.
"Most of the volunteers are social workers already on the street, distributing soups and blankets in winter, making sure that people are looked after [...] These are efforts that are made all year round."
