The emergency shelter operated by the Red Cross in Ixelles has been relocated to a new site to continue hosting homeless individuals as the extreme cold weather plan remains active in the Brussels region since Christmas Day, the Belgian Red Cross announced on Monday.
On Sunday, the organisation was forced to close its temporary centre hosted in a school gymnasium in Ixelles when the school reopened after the holidays. Red Cross teams acted swiftly to organise the relocation, ensuring those housed were not left back on the streets despite freezing temperatures.
The municipality of Ixelles requisitioned a sports hall to set up a new emergency shelter. The transfer took place immediately, and homeless individuals have been welcomed at the new site from 4.30 pm.
Hot meals are provided in the evening alongside breakfast in the morning, access to showers, and basic support services. Referrals to the shelter are managed by Samusocial’s dispatching service, accessible at their free hotline 0800/99.340.
“Since 25 December, the Ixelles centre has provided more than 150 overnight stays. It was crucial to ensure continuity and maintain a minimum accommodation capacity during this persistent cold spell,” said Magali Clerbaux, crisis management coordinator in Brussels for the Red Cross.
In addition, the organisation is intensifying its winter initiatives across Brussels and Wallonia, including day centres, street outreach programmes, shelters, social laundries, and medical centres. In Brussels alone, nearly 30,000 street contacts are expected to be made in 2025 by around 250 volunteers, the Red Cross noted.
