Hundreds of people are sleeping in public spaces, including metro stations, according to a new report.
The number of homeless individuals in Brussels has dramatically increased over the past two years, as revealed in a new report published on Wednesday. In November 2024, 9,777 homeless people were recorded in Brussels, marking a 25% increase compared to the previous count in 2022, according to a study conducted by Bruss’Help, the regional coordination agency for homelessness.
Around 4,000 people were accommodated in emergency shelters or in vacant buildings with the owners’ approval. Another 992 individuals slept in public spaces, including metro stations, which is a 23% increase compared to 2022. Of these 992, more than 600 were in municipalities on the outskirts of Brussels, indicating that the problem is spreading beyond the city center.
An additional 2,649 people, or 27% of the total, were living in non-conventional housing, including unauthorized structures, temporary shelters, or squats. 1,539 people, or 16% of the total, were staying with third parties.
According to Bruss’Help, “the scale of the problem exceeds the capacity of individual initiatives,” and the organization hopes that the report will help policymakers develop “more effective, structured, and humane public policy measures.”
The Bruss’Help study, which is conducted every two years with the help of volunteers, tracks various forms of homelessness across the region.
