“The average waiting time for obtaining social housing in Brussels is now almost 12 years. The waiting times differ depending on the size of the house, ranging from 10 years for a one-bedroom house to as much as 14-15 years for a large house with four to five bedrooms,” said Brussels N-VA Member of Parliament Mathias Vanden Borre, who criticizes that only one Brussels municipality is achieving the target of 15 percent social housing.
The figures that Vanden Borre requested from State Secretary for Housing Nawal Ben Hamou (PS) show that social tenants looking for a studio are helped the fastest on average, namely after 8.8 years. For a house with one or two bedrooms it is an average of 10 years of waiting. The wait for a social house with more rooms is lower: 12.2 years for 3 bedrooms, 14 years for 4 rooms and 15.3 years for 5 rooms.
Differences between municipalities
The N-VA also points out the large differences between the municipalities in terms of the share of social housing. “The government’s target of having 15 percent of social housing in the entire Region of the total number of homes, evenly distributed over the municipalities and districts, has remained a dream for decades. Only one municipality, Watermael-Boitsfort, achieves the 15 percent share. Most other municipalities (seventeen in total) do not even achieve 10 percent, of which 6 municipalities even remain below 5 percent social housing (Schaerbeek, Ixelles, Sint-Gillis, Koekelberg, Sint-Pieters-Woluwe, and Uccle)”, criticizes Vanden Borre.
contracts
State Secretary Ben Hamou wants to solve this by imposing contractual obligations on the municipalities, but only Etterbeek, Ixelles, Molenbeek and Sint Gillis have a housing contract.
Vanden Borre regrets that these contracts do not provide for sanctions. “With 19 municipalities, 19 PCSWs, as many land management agencies, 16 social housing companies and 24 social rental offices, all of which have different buildings at their disposal and all determine their own procedure, it is simply impossible to conduct an efficient policy,” concludes the N-VA member of parliament.
ALSO READ. Does renting out real estate still bring in money now that there are more rules? Experts give advice: “Houses from the sixties are not suitable for renting out”
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.