Almost 10,000 homeless in Brussels, study finds

The number of homeless people in Brussels has grown by a quarter in just two years, according to the results of a new census published by regional body Bruss'Help.

Brussels has almost 10,000 homeless people, according to the estimates based on a count carried out by 400 volunteers in public spaces on a single night in November 2024.

The homeless census is carried out every two years and the latest figure is a 24.5% increase on the previous count.

On the night in question, volunteers counted 992 people who spent the night in public - either on the street or inside metro and railway stations.

Another 2,649 were counted in squats and other temporary accommodation. Some 2,535 spent the night in emergency shelters and another 1,628 in more established shelters.

Volunteers also counted 1,539 people temporarily staying with friends of family and another 357 who had just left a hospital or asylum centre without a place to stay.

The biggest increase compared with the previous census was in the number of people spending the night in metro and rail stations, which was up 85%.

The Bruss'Help census also found that the geographical spread of rough sleepers was greater than before, with people sleeping in areas such as alongside the canal in Anderlecht, Cinquantenaire park and Place Flagey in Ixelles.

"To tackle homelessness, we have to work across sectors," said Bruss'Help research Adel Pierre.

"A lot of people experience a kind of burnout from street life. That's because they're constantly on the road, always looking for help. They don't have time to look for work."