For over two decades, a social housing agency in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode was involved in fraudulent practices, an audit has revealed.
The agency, which was founded in 2000, managed around 230 private properties in the municipality until its closure at the end of last year due to bankruptcy. It owed over half a million euros in debts.
The Regional Housing Society of the Brussels Region (SLRB) ordered a financial audit of the housing agency in 2024, followed by a deeper investigation last year. The findings were handed to the Brussels public prosecutor in February, and the Brussels Region has joined the ongoing judicial inquiry as a civil party.
The audit identified a “generally flawed allocation system” for housing and highlighted the “active involvement of staff members in the creation of fraudulent documents”.
The fraud primarily centred on initial allocations to new tenants. Of the 181 cases reviewed, covering an 18-year period, 94 were instances of confirmed fraud, 44 suspected fraud, and 24 irregularities – often due to missing documentation to justify prioritising certain tenants. Altogether, 86% of the cases contained problems.
The social housing agency’s board was closely tied to the municipal administration. For a decade, Christian Boïketé, brother of local PS leader Philippe Boïketé and former head of staff for mayor Emir Kir, served as president until 2023. After his resignation, CPAS president Luc Frémal succeeded him.
