Brussels to open four new shelters for LGBTQI+ people by early 2022

‎The City of Brussels has received a regional subsidy through its land management agency of almost €206,000 for the renovation of several buildings where homeless young people from the LGBTQI+ community will be able to find shelter. ‎

‎The project, which was given the name Housing First, is the result of a collaboration between the land management agency, the Brussels Shelter and Step Forward, an initiative of the Samusocial humanitarian service and the Brussels Public Centre for Social Welfare (CPAS).‎

‎According to alderwoman for equal opportunities and housing Lydia Mutyebele, the subsidy will allow four buildings to be renovated. The buildings are expected to be ready to accept people seeking shelter from as early as the beginning of 2022.

The news comes almost a year after the Brussels regional government announced its intention to open two new refuges in the capital - one for women who are victims of domestic violence and one for young LGBTQI people.

At the beginning of 2021, Brussels had only one refuge specifically for LGBTQI+ people. Even before the corona pandemic, the safe house was flooded with applications.

Brussels regional secretary of state responsible for both equality of opportunity and housing, Nawal Ben Hamou, announced the plan to increase the number of shelters in February this year.

"The second European survey on the situation of LGBT people and the crime survey conducted here in Brussels clearly shows the very precarious situation of transgender people when it comes to violence and discrimination, and also the barriers to reporting it to the police," the secretary of state said at the time. "It goes without saying that the creation of a reception centre today is more than useful in the Brussels region."