Finance minister: “A public structure is urgently needed for the homeless in Brussels”

The current crisis around Samusocial can only accelerate the process to improve the reception of homeless people, said Guy Vanhengel (Open VLD), Minister of Finance in Brussels-Capital Region government, on Monday (11 September) before the commission of inquiry about the management of the non-profit organization.

Guy Vanhengel explained that he had terminated the pre-financing of the winter scheme for Samusocial via the social assistance body, Centre Public d´Action Social (CPAS), of the City of Brussels.

According to Vanhengel, it was only in 2013 that it appeared that the CPAS pre-financed the non-profit organization. Judging this unhealthy situation, the Minister of Finance has put in place a mechanism to remedy it. Vanhengel also highlighted the importance of the building purchased by Brussels-Capital Region at Boulevard Poincaré to stabilize the funding for the reception of homeless people.

Politically, the Liberal Flemish minister felt that there were no conflicts between different ministry staff about Samusocial. “There were many different sensitive issues,” he said.

Like his predecessor Rudi Vervoort, he said that he shared the tactic put forward by Pascal Smet (sp.a) who preferred to move step by step towards controlling private non-profit organizations, in order to avoid taking the risk of losing everything. “The crisis will allow us to accelerate the pace,” he added.


The author: Clémentine FORISSIER

Clémentine Forissier, a youthful journalist hailing from Brussels, has been making waves in the field of media. Despite her relatively young age, she has quickly risen to prominence as a prominent voice in Belgian journalism. Known for her fresh perspective and dynamic reporting, Clémentine has become a recognized figure in the Brussels media scene, offering insightful coverage of various topics.

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