The Red Cross has opened a temporary shelter for single men in Schaerbeek in order to protect people from the colder temperatures.
The centre opened in a former retirement home on in Schaerbeek at 15:00 on Tuesday. There is capacity for 150 places but the Red Cross highlights that it is "just a drop in the ocean" given the homelessness situation in Brussels.
The Brussels-Capital Region has activated its "Extreme Cold" plan for one month to increase support for the most vulnerable, as night frosts are expected by the end of the week.
An additional 160 places have been opened to accommodate the homeless, supplementing the 2,730 places already in use in the capital.
Credit: Belga / Benoit Doppagne
The majority of place are located in the former retirement home in Schaerbeek. The Red Cross says it converted the building within one week.
"Even though the place, with its 40 rooms equipped with bathrooms, is perfectly suitable for a shelter, it remains a significant challenge in terms of logistics and human resources," said head of crisis response at the Red Cross Magali Clerbaux.
Single men given priority
The centre will be managed by a team of around 15 people with the assistance of volunteers. The facility is dedicated to single men in order to compensate for the fact that this group is usually a lower priority than women and children.
The men will be accommodated for one week, 24 hours a day. Stays will be extendable depending on individual situations once referred by the homeless organisation Samusocial. Support services are available on top of food and shelter.
There are between 7,000 and 10,000 people homeless in Brussels and there are less than 3,000 accommodation places available. The 150 beds will therefore be quickly occupied. "We will reach full capacity very soon. The situation continues to worsen," said Clerbaux.
