The Brussels real estate and construction sectors warn that a proposed ordinance to implement a temporary construction freeze in nine disused zones may threaten affordable housing in the region.
On Monday, the Brussels Parliament’s Territorial Development Committee will vote on a resolution to halt construction in nine green areas, including sites such as Josaphat in Schaerbeek, Kwartelveld in Watermael-Boitsfort, Mijlemeers in Anderlecht, Wielsmoeras in Forest, and Donderberg in Laeken.
The construction freeze, supported by MR and proposed by Ecolo and Groen, aims to wait for a new zoning plan that considers biodiversity conservation and European climate goals.
Industry groups Embuild and the Professional Association of the Real Estate Sector (UPSI-BVS) believe this decision would create long-term instability for public-private partnerships in Brussels.
According to UPSI-BVS spokesperson Katrien Kempe, confidence in such partnerships will collapse, as private firms will hesitate to commit to costly, long-term projects if regulations can change unexpectedly.
The construction ban could also jeopardise affordable housing in Brussels by blocking the development of 800 new homes—nearly a quarter of the city’s annual output. Embuild’s Jean-Christophe Vanderhaegen warned that delays in permits mean prolonged waiting for thousands of families, exacerbating the already dire housing situation.
Additionally, the sector argues that a moratorium without a clear end could constitute an unreasonable interference with property rights, which may ultimately be struck down by Belgium’s Constitutional Court.
