The WTC emergency shelter, which provided 130 places for isolated men, is permanently closing its doors on Wednesday, September 30. This closure comes after the ‘Froid Extrême’ (Extreme Cold) plan, under which the center opened on February 2, was extended twice due to increasing demand. The loss of these 130 places adds to the 1,000 places announced for elimination in July by Minister Van Bossuyt, linked to the Brussel Deals.
Since its opening, the WTC has accommodated 3,813 isolated men out of the 5,143 assisted by Samusocial. However, 18,624 isolated men were denied shelter out of a total of 39,202 requests during the same period. From September 30, the total capacity for isolated men will be only 240 places, a figure deemed "largely insufficient" by the organization given the needs observed on the ground.
Magali Pratte, Deputy Operational Director, emphasizes the vulnerability of this group: “Being an isolated man does not mean being less vulnerable. Yet, this population often remains overlooked. Some even face multiple challenges, such as young age, aging, or health problems, making their situation particularly concerning.” The closure of the WTC also impacts its staff, with 25 out of 33 workers facing contract terminations.
Sarah de Liamchine, Director General of Samusocial, stated that this closure is a direct consequence of the elimination of 300 places funded by the Brussels Deal, while another 700 announced closures are still open. She advocates for keeping these places open as winter approaches, fearing a lack of resources for additional winter capacity when temperatures drop below freezing.
The organization BelRefugees is also affected by the reduction in funded places. Its Amran center, which housed 66 young people, closed on August 1, leading to the loss of 21 jobs and the cessation of support for these individuals. Over 1,000 men are currently on BelRefugees' waiting list for emergency shelter. The closure of the WTC further exacerbates an already critical situation, raising fears of a significant increase in people forced to sleep on the streets.
“"We are eliminating hundreds of places while thousands of people are already without solutions. At BelRefugees, over 1,000 men are currently waiting for a place. Behind every closure, there are also support services that stop, trajectories that are weakened, and teams that are lost. We ask that the authorities anticipate winter and promptly establish the necessary capacity to manage the unprecedented humanitarian crisis we are about to face."
A count conducted by Bruss’help in November 2024 identified 9,777 people without shelter solutions in the Brussels-Capital Region, a 25% increase in two years. The next count, scheduled for October 15, is expected to confirm this observed trend.
The remaining reception capacity includes 200 places at the Poincaré center in Anderlecht and 40 places at the transit center for unaccompanied minors located in Molenbeek.
