Franet national contribution to the Fundamental Rights Report – Challenges and achievements in 2025 - Housing crisis and people experiencing homelessness
(2026)
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- Abstract
- This document is a Belgian contribution to the Fundamental Rights Report annually published by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), covering challenges and achievements in 2025. It focuses specifically on the housing crisis and the situation of people experiencing homelessness in Belgium. Belgium's federal structure distributes housing and homelessness responsibilities across federal, regional, and community levels, creating a complex governance landscape. The constitutional right to housing (Article 23) is recognized, but its implementation varies significantly across the three regions. The Brussels-Capital Region has the most protective legal framework, including a winter eviction moratorium (November 1–March 15), rent regulation, and anti-discrimination measures introduced through major reforms in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, Brussels further strengthened tenant protections by activating a Joint Rental Commission and mandatory reference rent indicators to combat excessive rents. Flanders and Wallonia offer comparatively weaker eviction safeguards, with no winter moratorium or rent controls in the private sector. On the negative side, federal funding for cold-weather shelter plans was cut in 2025, and new laws restricted material assistance for certain asylum seekers, worsening homelessness risks. Data on evictions remains fragmented, but estimates suggest nearly 2,900 eviction requests in Brussels in one year, and around 9,800 households at eviction risk in Flanders in 2024. A 2025 count estimated over 20,000 homeless individuals in Flanders and nearly 20,000 in Wallonia, with chronic homelessness affecting one-third to 40% of that population. Housing discrimination remains underreported, with official bodies acknowledging that documented cases represent only a fraction of actual incidents. The Brussels-based Masterplan to End Homelessness (2025–2030), developed by Bruss'help, stands out as a promising strategic initiative focused on systemic, long-term solutions rather than emergency responses.
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Citations
El Berhoumi, M. (2026). Franet national contribution to the Fundamental Rights Report – Challenges and achievements in 2025 - Housing crisis and people experiencing homelessness. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/277206