Many people still think that this rule applies in Wallonia. This is not the case. At least in reality. The measure is indeed provided for by a ministerial decree of 2013. But it has never really been applied. Notably because a municipal anchor plan for the period 2014-2016 should allow municipalities to prepare a public housing development plan with the help of the Region.
When the private sector invests in social housing: “The waiting time in Brussels is eight to ten years”
An impact on the finances of large cities
Large Walloon cities which generally have a significant number of public housing units on their territory would like neighboring municipalities to take their part in a more proactive manner in order to remove some of the pressure weighing on them. A CPAS official from a large city recently explained that requests for public housing often come from people residing in a municipality other than their own. However, when a person who depends on social assistance is allocated social housing, they join the CPAS of their new home, which further adds pressure on large cities. Especially since the management of a large rental stock entails costs linked to the maintenance of the building.
A family sounds the alarm about the state of social housing: “One of the children was followed for major dermatological problems”
The current Walloon majority does not, however, intend to activate the obligation of 10% public housing in a municipal territory. The Walloon Minister of Housing, Cécile Neven (MR), recently questioned by a socialist deputy, Jean-Pierre Lepine, explained why. “The relevance of this objective of 10% of public utility housing per municipality to provide direction to public housing policy is clearly questioned. A uniform, linear objective for all Walloon municipalities, whatever their particular situation and the challenges they face, is neither logical nor desirable. Imposing the same objective on an urban municipality, experiencing strong pressure on real estate prices and where a large part of the population is impoverished, and on a more rural municipality, located outside areas of land pressure and less affected by poverty, has little meaning.”
However, the minister is not without ambition on this issue of public housing. Cécile Neven wishes “that the reflection on the supply of public utility housing is no longer carried out on a commune by commune basis, but on a broader scale such as the living area. It is necessary to create synergies between municipalities and especially between operators in the territory to respond to them.”.
