Just half of all tenants in social housing that are unemployed and have not been declared unfit to work have registered with the Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Service VDAB, despite this having been mandatory since the beginning of this year. The first fines of up to 5,000 euro for failing to register are now being issued.
Since 1 January 2023 all tenants in social housing in Flanders that are out of work, but are not either pensioners or have been declared to be unfit to work on medical grounds, have been obliged to register with the Flemish Employment and Vocational training service VDAB. A total of 33,000 people in are region live in social housing and are unemployed, but are able to work.
Figures released by the Flemish Housing Minister Matthias Diependaele (Nationalist) show that almost half (14,400) of those that should have registered with VDAB have up to yet failed to do so.
Fine of up to 5,000 euro
Mr Diependaele warns that those that persistently refuse to register with VDAB will be issued with fines. So far 22 people have received a (small) fine. However, those that continue to refuse to register with VDAB can expect to be issued with a fine of up to 5,000 euro.
More than 1,000 cases are currently under scrutiny. This will increase in the coming weeks as the deadline for the tenants to register with VDAB expires. Mr Diependaele says that no one will be evicted from social housing if they refuse to register with VDAB. The Flemish Housing Minister hopes that the threat of a fine will provide people with enough motivation to register.