Brussels charities struggle amid lack of coalition agreement

A group of 40 non-profit organisations specialising in safety and prevention has joined more than 360 other non-profit organisations in launching an appeal to the Brussels government to provide urgent financial security amid the lack of a coalition agreement from the new government.

The organisations rely on government funding to carry out their various missions, Bruzz reports, and they say that at least 50 projects are at risk of stalling.

These include initiatives for addiction prevention, shelter for the homeless, preventing human trafficking and offering support for victims of gender-based violence.

“Without continuation of the subsidies, the expertise and services built up in recent years risk being lost, with direct consequences for more than 100,000 Brussels residents who use this help every day,” the organisations said in their appeal.

The Global Safety and Prevention Plan (GVPP) for 2021-2024, coordinated by safe.brussels, provides strategic support to the sector, but without a new plan or bridging of funds, the functioning of the services is at risk.

“Most non-profit organisations don’t have a large reserve fund and so their operations are in danger of coming to a complete standstill if no more subsidies come in,” said Charlotte Bonbled of homeless association Dune in Saint-Gilles.

Homeless people, migrants, sex workers and victims of violence would be particularly hard hit by the shutdown, the organisations said, resulting in an “enormous” social impact.

The non-profits, including Diogenes, Dune, Lama and Modus Vivendi, are calling on the Brussels government to guarantee their funding for 2025 and recognise the importance of prevention and safety services.

They ask for structural support to ensure the continuity of their work and stress their crucial role in maintaining social cohesion and security in the region.