'Winter plan' for Brussels' homeless extended to June

Brussels' winter plan to provide shelter for the homeless will be extended until June, after the region's government voted to "substantially" increase funding for emergency accommodation.

The government voted in favour of the extra measures last week and said the extension was "made necessary by the increase in hoemless people and, in particular, migrants who are not taken in by federal structures".

Samusocial provides 878 reception places for homeless people in the Brussels region over the coldest months. These normally close at the end of April, but will now remain open for a further three months. The Red Cross 24-hour shelter on Rue de Trêves - which currently hosts about 150 people - will also remain active into the summer.

"Since the activation of the winter plan on 1 November, our teams, several hundred volunteers every day, are continuously on the ground to help the most vulnerable," the Red Cross said in a statement.

Read more about what is being done for Brussels' homeless this winter here...