Brussels figures
During the November 2022 count, more than 7,000 people were counted as being inadequately housed in Brussels, of whom more than 800 were actually sleeping in the street. In Belgium, Brussels is the city with the most homeless people.
Streetnurses has resettled nearly 200 homeless people in Brussels since joining the Housing First project in 2011. The latter conditions the sustainable reintegration and the improvement of the person's global condition through rehousing.
Who are our patients?
Our patients come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and our work focuses on the most vulnerable: men and women who have been living on the streets for several years, of Belgian or other origin, with or without papers, and from different backgrounds. Many have psychological and/or psychiatric problems, or significant medical problems. All are at high risk of premature death.
We adapt our psycho-medical-social support to everyone's reality and we network with other associations active in the Brussels homelessness sector.
Objective: the paradigm shift!
The end of homelessness will be possible when the change in approach to dealing with the problem takes place at the societal and political level and will shift from crisis management to sustainable solutions. That is why, in addition to our field work:
- We spread our methodology through publications, tools, training, etc.
- We carry out awareness campaigns aimed at the general public and tell our patients story.
- We are working, through our political advocacy, to implement structural measures to prevent and care for homelessness throughout Belgium.