9,777 homeless people were counted in the Brussels-Capital Regionat the end of last year. That is a quarter more than in 2022, according to a count by Bruss'Help, an organisation that supports homeless people and which publishes the figures in its report that serves as a tool for policymakers to develop structural solutions to temper the rise in homelessness.
On the night of 6 November 2024, a total of 9,777 homeless people were counted in the Brussels Capital Region. The figure is 25% up on 2022 when the last census took place. The figures appear in Bruss'Help’s latest report. This is an organisation that every two years and with the help of volunteers maps out the number of homeless people in the capital.
On the night of the count, nearly 4,000 people were either staying at emergency shelters or in so-called temporary occupancies. In the latter case, homeless people occupy an empty building with the approval of the landlord, who is usually an association.
Squatting on the decline
Occupying a building without the owner's permission is also common. However, squatting is on the wane. During the count, at the end of last year, 683 people were living in squats, down 26 per cent. The fall is mainly due to the closure of a large squat in the Paleizenstraat.
A further 513 homeless people stayed in unauthorised shelters. That is an increase of 30 per cent. Unaccredited shelters are shelters organised by an association or other organisation but not recognised by the government.
Nearly 1,000 people on the streets
A further 992 people were found to be simply sleeping on the streets, about 10 per cent of the total. These people spend the night in rail or metro stations, a car or elsewhere in public spaces. This figure has increased by almost 23 per cent since 2022, especially around stations.
Of those 992 homeless people sleeping rough, 613 were in municipalities on the outskirts of the Brussels Capital Region. This is 50% more than in the 2022 census, indicating that the problem is spreading out across the capital.