Organisations in Brussels start plan for homeless people facing freezing winter conditions
Brussels will initiate plans to help homeless people over the winter on Monday, the office of minister for Social Action Alain Maron told Belga. Working with homeless organisations, the plans aim to provide optimal shelter for people in Brussels to get through the winter safely.
From Sunday evening, night-time temperatures will drop below zero. Sunday night will be -3° C and temperatures the following night will drop to -5° C. "Given the forecast of a particularly cold period in Brussels from Sunday 7 January, the intention is to open the sites for extreme cold from Monday 8 January," Maron's office said.
The decision was reached in an agreement between the cabinets of Maron, federal state secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole De Moor and Brussels minister president Rudi Vervoort.
Plans include providing additional shelters for a month that would be accessible 24/7. The Red Cross will manage an additional 100 places and there will be 55 more places in three Samusocial reception centres.
Bruss'Help, which manages emergency aid and integration systems for homeless people in Brussels, is responsible for coordinating the measures taken within the upcoming plan for the cold.
Several organisations will meet on Thursday to agree on measures and discuss increasing the number of places in existing shelters. Some shelters are already at capacity.
© PHOTO HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
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