No 'extreme cold' plan for Brussels homeless this winter

Brussels will not activate its "extreme cold" plan for homeless people this winter, meaning no extra emergency beds will be added when temperatures drop.

The cabinet of Dirk De Smedt, the Brussels minister responsible for welfare and health in the Joint Community Commission, confirmed the decision to Bruzz.

Instead, emergency places opened under last winter's plan at the Marie-Curie centre in Evere and the Plasky centre in Schaerbeek will be kept open until the end of the year. The aim is to make sure homeless families with children do not end up on the street.

"All the beds are still in use," said Pauline Février of Bruss'Help, the organisation that coordinates homeless services in the capital.

Single men who cannot find a bed could in principle turn to other shelters funded through the Brussels Deal, Bruss'Help said. 

But there is little room left. Samusocial now has 230 beds for single men, after it was forced to cut 100 places at its centre on Boulevard Poincaré on police orders.

On one evening this week, 130 single men who called Samusocial were told there was no place for them. 

According to Bruzz, the organisation received 288 requests for shelter that night, accepting 110 and turning away 178. Of the 171 requests from single men, 130 were refused.

The Brussels Deal, an agreement between the federal government and the region, funded about 2,000 extra shelter places last winter at 20 sites run by four operators. The future of 700 to 800 of those beds is uncertain.

The federal government has cut its contribution from €42 million to €19 million. The Brussels government plans to make up the shortfall with a loan of about €26 million to the Joint Community Commission, which would bring total funding to €45 million.

De Smedt's cabinet could not confirm that last year's set-up would be repeated. "Talks with the federal government are still ongoing," it said.

Two centres have already closed. The Amran centre run by BelRefugees shut in August, followed at the end of September by the WTC centre, which had 130 places for single men.

"It mattered because it responded to the greatest needs," said Samusocial spokeswoman Marie-Anne Robberecht. The organisation has not said whether it will reopen the centre.

The WTC tower is on a list of buildings across the country that could be used to shelter homeless people, drawn up at the request of federal minister Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés), who is responsible for the Buildings Agency. "We can't wait until the first freezing nights," she said.

Bruss'Help estimates that at least 10,000 people are homeless in Brussels. At the end of October, there were 2,865 shelter places.

Opération Chaussettes is collecting clothing, blankets, basic products and toys for people living on the street or in precarious housing.

The collection takes place on Sunday 15 November from 9.00 to 17.00 on Place Poelaert. Donations can be dropped off on foot or by car, with volunteers on hand to direct traffic.

"Clothes, basic products and toys for children are all welcome," said volunteer Michael Roosen.

Donors are asked to mark their bags with an H for men, an F for women or an E for children. 

Items will be given a first sort on site before being passed on to Solidarité Grand Froid, which distributes them to the organisations and people who need them.