Nearly one in two households in Brussels is made up of a single person. Yet public policy, tax systems and even workplace culture still revolve around what Brussels politician Carla Dejonghe calls "the classic family model".
This year, for the second time, The Economist has analysed how easy it is to afford rent alone in Europe's priciest cities. Brussels, according to what they dubbed the "Carrie Bradshaw Index", ranks among the most affordable European cities for solo renters.
The Economist calculates affordability based on how much tenants would need to earn so as not spend more than 30% of their income on a city's average rent. The latter is for a one-bedroom flat.
They then compare that with the average wage in each city, dividing the local wage by the wage that would be needed to keep the rent within budget. Brussels, scores 4th place after Bonn, Lyon and Berne, respectively.
'The most heavily taxed category'
Even if things might seem a little worse for singletons in other major cities, there is still a lot of room for improvement in Brussels.
Liberal politician Dejonghe has been advocating for single people in Brussels for years. To her, being single encompasses a panoply of life situations: never married, divorced, widowed, solo parents and religious people.
Open Vld's Carla Dejonghe pictured during the oath ceremony during a plenary session of the Brussels parliament in Brussels, Tuesday 11 June 2019. Credit : Belga/ Thierry Roge
"Every person, at some point in their lives, goes through a period of living solo," she tells The Brussels Times.
Single people without children in Belgium are the most heavily taxed category in Western Europe. On average, Dejonghe says, they devote 56% of their gross salary to taxes and social contributions, rising to as much as 60% for higher incomes.
Moreover, couples can combine incomes, benefit from child-related allowances and, crucially, use the marital quotient system, which allows up to 30% of one partner's income to be transferred to a lower-earning partner to benefit from a lower tax band. A single person has no such option, De Jonghe says.
'You really need to have a lot of luck in Brussels as a single person'
Houba is a single man born and raised in Brussels who works in banking. To him, even for people who work in lucrative sectors like AI, tech, and finances, Brussels is not always attractive.
Houba thinks that beyond the exorbitant prices of rent, taxation for single people makes Brussels less attractive for solo renters. Credit : Handout.
Singles are overly taxed, he thinks, besides the sometimes eye-watering cost of living in the city. "You really need to have a lot of luck in Brussels as a single person. The housing prices are exorbitant, adding to that all obligatory insurances, gas, and electricity, people tend to forget that it is not always just rent," he tells The Brussels Times.
Dejonghe points out that flat-rate charges are levied per household rather than per person. Brussels abolished its €89 regional household tax in 2016, but many municipalities still apply local taxes per household.
"Flat taxes weigh particularly heavily on people living alone," she says. "Charges are calculated per address. Advantages are granted per person."
A single tenant pays the same rent as a couple. A single homeowner pays the same property tax. Utility bills include fixed costs that are proportionally far higher for one occupant. "Even if you consume much less, the fixed element remains," she explains.
American-born Brussels resident Shannon is also a solo renter of a one-bedroom flat in an attic. She considers her rent rather cheap compared to most people she knows.
"A few years ago, I would have said Brussels is very affordable for people living on their own, but now I'm not so sure. On my current salary, I don't think I could afford to move. Every advert I've seen is too expensive," she tells The Brussels Times.
American Brussels resident rents a flat with a mezannine that makes it look like a one-bed room flat, she says that her situation is an anomaly because the landlord is a kind and fair person. Credit : Handout.
Shannon works part-time and makes enough for daily life, but says she cannot save money. She says that her work is well paid, but her way of living is "fairly frugal".
"I only buy second-hand clothes, my electronics are on their last legs, and I usually cook at home (with my haul from Aldi), but I still go out to eat with friends around once a week, I go to shows/ concerts, and I have the cineville pass," she adds.
Moving away from the traditional family model as the norm
Why has policy on single people lagged? Dejonghe believes it is linked to the life experiences of our elected representatives.
"How many MPs live alone?" Dejonghe asks. "Very few," she answers. "That reality is not reflected in parliament. For many politicians, it is removed from their daily concerns."
Rather than demanding a specific legislative overhaul 'tomorrow', she calls for what she describes as a "single person's policy reflex". Every new measure, she argues, should be assessed for its impact on those living alone. "Decision-makers should stop reasoning from the traditional family model as the norm."
Her charter, already adopted in her municipality, Wouluwé-Saint-Pierre, is intended as a first step. It calls on local authorities to integrate single-person households into everyday governance, services and communication.
Dejonghe describes it as both a wake-up call about economic inequalities and an attempt to chip away at social stigma.
She is also calling on restaurants to adopt "single-friendly" layouts, such as communal tables or counter seating, and offer quality wine by the glass rather than only by the bottle.
Markets could promote individual portions to reduce waste, she thinks, adding that the travel sector could address the notorious "single supplement" that makes solo travel disproportionately expensive.
