Final appeal for Street Nurses end-of-year campaign “We must rehouse them!”

Street nurse organisation Infirmières de rue is making a last-minute appeal for donations to help the homeless in its end-of-year campaign “We must rehouse them!”

Launched at the beginning of December, the action targets the rising problem of people living in the streets or unstable accommodation in Belgium.

On the eve of the holiday period, the organisation needs a further €200,000 to meet its end-of year budget.

In Brussels, nearly 1,000 people are currently sleeping on the streets, while at least 9,000 live in temporary shelters. This figure has increased fivefold in the past 16 years, according to the nonprofit.

It is a similar story in Liège, where it is estimated that at least 500 people are homeless or without stable housing. Across Belgium, the figure approaches some 50,000 people.

Infirmières de rue (Straatverplegers) was founded in 2005 with a mission to end homelessness, mainly in Brussels and Liège. As a medical and social organisation, it provides healthcare and help rehousing the most vulnerable individuals, including follow-up care for at least 10 years.

The organisation raises awareness of not only the problem of homelessness, but the lack of aid to help them. Spokesperson Koen Van den Broeck explains: “We are currently observing two mutually reinforcing trends: the number of homeless people is increasing, certain political measures risk further increasing the influx, and at the same time, the available aid is decreasing.”

He is keen to point out that “homelessness is not inevitable. We demonstrate this every day.”

The organisation has currently rehoused more than 230 people since joining the "Housing First" project in 2011.

As Van de Broeck says, “For people who have been homeless for years, housing is not an end in itself, but a starting point. It’s the foundation for regaining health, stability, and the possibility of rebuilding their lives.”

Although the campaign “We must rehouse them!” runs until the end of December, it will continue to welcome donations.

For more information, to make a donation, or to get involved, visit the Street Nurses website: Infirmières de rue.