The number of homeless people in Brussels dramatically increased in the last two years, a new report published Wednesday revealed.
On one night in November 2024, 9,777 people were recorded as homeless in Brussels, an increase of 25 percent compared to the previous count in 2022, according to the study conducted by Bruss’Help, the regional coordination agency for homelessness.
Around 4,000 people were reported staying in emergency shelters or in empty buildings with the owner’s approval, on the night of the count. Another 992 slept in public spaces including metro stations, marking a 23 percent increase since 2022. Out of these 992, more than 600 were in municipalities on the outskirts of Brussels, indicating that the problem is spreading beyond the city center.
Another 2,649 people, 27 percent of the total, were staying in nonconventional housing, including nonapproved accommodation structures, temporary accommodations or squats. 1,539 people, 16 percent of the total, were staying with third parties.
According to Bruss’Help, “the scale of the problem exceeds all individual initiatives,” and it hopes that the current report will help policymakers develop “more effective, structural and humane public policy measures.”
The Bruss’Help study, which is carried out every two years with the help of volunteers, tracks various forms of homelessness across the region. A more detailed, qualitative analysis is expected in June.
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