In Flanders, the total number of homeless people is estimated at more than 20,000. A minority is staying on the street, but many live temporarily with family or in reception centers. These figures confirm previous findings around homelessness, says Professor Koen Hermans of the KU Leuven, who scientifically supported the research.
“We portray the non-visible part of the problem. It is not only about men on a bench in the station, but also about families, single mothers and young adults. Moreover, a third has been in this situation for more than a year, which has a huge impact.”