First Housing Company of West Flanders recognised

This is a merger of housing company Impuls Menen, the Wervik part of CVBA De Leie and SVK Woon Sleutel from Ypres. Together they have 2,600 social homes under their care.

The social sector is restructuring. The current 82 social housing companies and 48 social rental offices are reorganizing themselves into 42 housing companies. According to the minister, this merger is to the advantage of the tenants and local authorities. The large housing companies will be able to work more efficiently and be more effective, he says. (read more below the photo)

Criticism

At the end of last year, more than 32,000 people from West Flanders were on a waiting list for social housing. Only East Flanders and Antwerp score worse. According to Flemish MP Maxim Veys (Vooruit), a merger of social housing companies will have no impact on the waiting lists. Ichtegem and Ardooie are among the worst students, he says. The waiting lists are not necessarily the longest there, but very little is being built. So there is less chance to shorten the waiting lists.

Minister Diependaele admits that money cannot be converted into stones. The mergers are intended to increase construction capacity and thus eliminate waiting lists. But in practice it is not that simple. Local authorities still make their own decisions about building social housing.