The Socialist Party (PS) is calling for an urgent meeting of the interministerial conference on Social Integration after the federal government decided to withdraw support for winter shelters for homeless people in major cities.
"When temperatures drop, shelter isn’t a comfort. It’s a matter of survival. Stopping this funding is choosing to endanger lives to save money," said PS MP Marie Meunier, urging that the measure be suspended without delay.
The 'cold plan' provides additional places in winter shelters in Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi, Ghent and Liège. Until now, each city has received €65,000 in federal support. Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA), who is responsible for the measure, has slashed the funding, arguing that it is not a federal responsibility.
The PS described the move as "unacceptable", insisting that "solidarity is not an option; it must remain the foundation of our society."
The far-left PTB/PVDA also condemned the cuts, calling them a "deliberate attack on the most vulnerable". Party leader Sofie Merckx proposed redirecting ministers ' housing allowances to finance winter shelters instead.
Brussels Minister for Social Action and Health, Alain Maron (Ecolo), warned that the decision would put additional pressure on local services and force more people onto the streets.
