Regional elections 2024: MEMORANDUM

This section provides an overview of the housing situation in Brussels in terms of quality, affordability and security. A large number of Brussels residents live in poor-quality, overcrowded accommodation, spend too much of their income on housing or are forced to leave Brussels. The scientific literature points to a number of causes of housing problems, such as an imbalance between supply and demand, growing income inequality, the financialisation of housing, the end of the welfare state, limited land and housing stock, and rising construction costs. In Brussels, the elements which reveal a link in terms of demographics, economics, social issues, technology and innovation, ecology and politics/law, are explained in a Destep analysis.

Brussels Housing advocates an "evidence-based", cross-functional housing policy with a long-term vision. Together with its partners, the administration wants to create the necessary conditions to guarantee the fundamental right to decent housing for all inhabitants of Brussels. To make housing more accessible, improve housing quality and support partners, the following six measures are crucial:

1. Facilitate, accelerate and improve the rehousing of families whose rental properties are under a rental ban
2. Expropriation, under certain conditions, of properties subject to a rental ban or unoccupied dwelling fine
3. Draw up an action plan to combat rough sleeping by supporting integration into the housing market through a legal framework for temporary accommodation and supporting the partners involved.
4. Support new forms of housing
5. Amend the legislation so that the Rehabilitation Unit of the Rent Allowances and Unoccupied Housing Department can carry out more Public Management Law projects on its own initiative.
6. Streamline subsidies

Read the memorandum from Brussels Housing:

Any questions about the memorandum? Email Rebecca Bosch