Antwerp social services are seeing more and more homeless people, both at their offices and on the streets. Brussels has introduced stricter surveillance of homeless people and as a result many are heading up north to Antwerp.
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Stricter checks in Brussels and prices on the housing market trigger homeless crisis in Antwerp
Colin Clapson
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Ryan is 27 and has been homeless for six months now: “Things need to change urgently” he tells VRT’s Bente Vandekeybus. The flat he rented got sold. He failed to find an affordable alternative meaning he now spends the night at friends or relatives. “During the daytime I visit the day centre for the homeless. I can get a meal for 2.10 euros and can chat with people in the same situation”.
Ryan tries to remain positive, but we can’t publish his words on all the landlords who refused to let to him. He’s on incapacity for work allowance and can’t find anything affordable on the Antwerp housing market.
57-year-old Ronald is in a similar situation. Every night he can count on a bed at the homeless shelter in a dormitory with ten beds: “It’s no fun” explains Ronald. It’s noisy with lots of people going in and out”.
During the winter months the dormitories are usually full. Antwerp has 162 beds for homeless people. They are usually always full, but in the current freezing conditions social services doesn’t refuse anybody.
Antwerp social services see two solutions for the problem. Things need to change on the social housing market. At present people stay homeless for longer and longer and at the same time more and more people are becoming homeless.
Antwerp also possesses an outreach team that sees homeless people on the streets. Already last summer the team noticed more people sleeping rough. Given the greater surveillance in Brussels more and more homeless people are also heading for Antwerp.