The federal government will no longer finance the winter shelter plan for the homeless in five major cities starting this year.
The winter plan provides hundreds of additional beds for homeless shelters from November to March each year. While most funding comes from regional governments, the federal government previously covered about one-third of the costs. This included annual payments of approximately €65,000 to the public social welfare centres (OCMWs) in Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi, Ghent, and Liège.
The decision to end this funding was confirmed by the office of Anneleen Van Bossuyt, Minister of Asylum and Migration, Social Integration, and Urban Policy, following reports in the media Le Soir. The government cited a detailed budgetary review and compliance with jurisdictional rules as reasons for the cut.
Van Bossuyt explained that the financial inspectorate has repeatedly pointed out that winter shelters fall under the authority of local and regional governments, not the federal government. The minister stressed that this change clarifies responsibilities and aims to ensure long-term budgetary sustainability.
Despite the funding withdrawal, Van Bossuyt insisted that the importance of winter sheltering is not in question. She stated the federal government remains committed to helping cities and their institutional partners transition and seek suitable solutions to ensure no one is left without support during winter.
