In 2020, 169,000 people were on the waiting list for social housing in Flanders, especially single people. Flemish Minister of Housing Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) reports this in a press release. One in three candidates wants to live in the province of Antwerp.
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Currently, 159,217 people are staying in social housing in Flanders, but there are even more candidates on the waiting list. In 2020 there were 169,000 – an increase of 10 percent compared to 2019. “The system of social housing is more accessible because we made the income conditions less strict at the time,” says Diependaele. On average, prospective tenants are on a waiting list for 3.5 to 4 years.
“Geen win for life”
The minister does want to strictly control who is allowed to occupy the social housing. “Frauders have to get out. Anyone who owns a property abroad will fly out,” it sounds sharply. Diependaele also links the “integration” argument to social housing: for example, he demands that the prospective tenants “speak Dutch at a decent level”. Unemployed tenants must also be registered with the VDAB. “A social housing is also not allowed win for life to be. Therefore, since 2017 no more leases have been given for an indefinite period. Since then, the new contracts have only run for nine years. We should see the effect of this from 2026. We will therefore investigate more thoroughly after those nine years whether current tenants still meet the conditions. If that is not the case, it must make way for candidate tenants who really need it and are entitled to it.”
Vooruit accuses government of lack of ‘sense of urgency’
The fact that the waiting list for social housing has grown to 169,000 people in 2020 proves, according to Vooruit MP Maxim Veys, that the Flemish government has “no sense of urgency” when it comes to social housing. “This increase shows that the government still lacks a sense of urgency when it comes to social housing,” said Veys.
According to Veys, resources are provided, but they are not used on a structural basis. “This year, approximately one billion euros will remain in the account of the Flemish government,” it sounds. According to Veys, the budgets are insufficiently converted into bricks. “Such a policy is of no use to the people on the waiting lists. They now need affordable and high-quality housing,” says the Vooruit member of parliament. “The Flemish government knows this, but is dumping vulnerable families on the much too expensive and often substandard private rental market,” said Veys.
Green hard for minister
“Matthias Diependaele fails as Minister of Housing”. That is the harsh verdict of opposition party Groen in response to the growing waiting lists for social housing in Flanders. “Despite the investments made in recent years, the number of Flemish people who have to wait for years for social housing is rising to unprecedented heights. While these people wait for years, they often end up in poverty,” says Groen MP An Moerenhout.
According to Moerenhout, Diependaele is unable to turn the tide. Moerenhout believes that the government should better support the people on the waiting list. “Today, the minister only supports Flemish people on a waiting list with a rental premium after four years. That’s way too late. It is striking that more and more cities no longer wait for the minister and take measures themselves”.
The Green politician also calls for the stop on the construction of social housing to be reversed. “Today there is a decree before the minister in which the minister wants to oblige cities and municipalities to build no more than 15 percent social housing on their territory. That is antisocial and unacceptable,” says Moerenhout. “With almost 170,000 Flemish people on the waiting list, the minister must do everything in his power to encourage rather than ban the construction of social housing. This measure is unworthy of a housing minister.”
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