Lack of affordable housing in Flanders violates European Social Charter, Council of Europe rules
A lack of affordable housing in Flanders for low-income and vulnerable families violates the European Social Charter, according to the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR), a body of the Council of Europe.
On 27 December 2021, the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (Feantsa) filed a complaint against Flanders’ housing policy with the ECSR on behalf of Woonzaak, a collective of 70 organisations. According to the complainants, the fundamental right to housing is effectively non-existent for many people, especially for the most vulnerable.
The ECSR has now ruled in favour of Woonzaak. It says Belgium, in this case Flanders, is violating the European Social Charter, specifically Article 16, which gives every family the right to social, legal and economic protection.
Poor quality
According to the ECSR, housing policy is focused on home ownership, but there are too few options for people on a low income. 250,000 households are entitled to social housing but cannot find any due to the shortage. As a result, many people live in private rental accommodation that is too expensive, of poor quality and insecure. Many are discriminated against or find themselves homeless.
"This 'red card' exposes the urgent need to review and strengthen our housing policy"
The ECSR points to the high number of substandard homes at the lower end of the private market and the lack of measures to guarantee quality standards for housing. There is also is a lack of data on evictions and the number of homeless people.
"This 'red card' exposes the urgent need to review and strengthen our housing policy," Woonzaak said in a Facebook post. "It is time that every family found a place they can call home.️ 27 years after the Flemish Housing Code, Woonzaak demands a fundamentally fair housing policy."
Supply and price
Flemish Housing minister Melissa Depraetere of socialist party Vooruit says Flanders has been heading towards a housing crisis for years.
“There is a major shortage of affordable housing, especially on the rental market,” she said. “Prices continue to rise. Rents have doubled in 20 years. This cannot continue. That is why I am going to intervene, by focusing on increasing the supply and by intervening in the price itself.”
She said Flanders was investing 6 billion euros in constructing and renovating affordable social housing in the coming years and would impose financial sanctions on municipalities that do not build their share.
#FlandersNewsService | Social housing in Leuven © PHOTO BELGIAN FREELANCE
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