Brussels, July 7, 2023 – DoucheFLUX’s transit shelter for homeless women, which opened during the first lockdown, closed its doors last April after the COCOM/GGC’s grants were not renewed.
Download our public plea for a transit shelter for homeless women (.pdf, currently in French only)
DoucheFLUX was the first Brussels association to open a transit shelter under Covid in April 2020, and the last to operate one in April 2023. After several grant extensions and despite a positive evaluation, it came to an abrupt end a few weeks ago, by decision of Minister Maron, responsible for Social Action and Health.
Faced with the increased vulnerability of homeless women in public spaces, exacerbated by the lockdown, DoucheFLUX had opened this transit shelter in a vacant hotel, to provide temporary shelter to these women. Thanks to the thorough social work of the team and its partners, many homeless women have been re-housed. Since opening, no fewer than 43 residents have found permanent housing.
This facility, the only one of its kind in Brussels, was often the only possible solution for most of the women housed, due to a specific working method.
In the last census recently published by Bruss’Help, the occupants of our transit shelter were classified as “people in shelters for homeless people – social facilities in hotels – Ethos light 3”, we are deeply saddened to announce that for some of them, no rehousing solution could be found upon closure, sending them back onto the streets and further increasing the number of homeless people counted in the Brussels public space.
In response to this distressing situation, we are sending this plea to the press today, as well as to the Minister for Social Action and Health, Mr. Alain Maron, and the Secretary of State for Housing and Equal Opportunities, Ms. Nawal Ben Hamou, as well as to DoucheFLUX supporters and the entire Brussels social sector.
Our aim, by sharing this plea outlining the project, with numerous testimonials from associative partners, is to affirm its absolute necessity. DoucheFLUX is determined to move heaven and earth to enable the transit shelter to be reborn in the coming months, on a permanent basis.
Download our public plea for a transit shelter for homeless women
(.pdf, currently in French only)
Contact : Jérôme Guiot, coordinator, 0473 22 95 16 – jerome.guiot@doucheflux.be