A significant loss of income due to cuts in tax relief on donations...
To meet growing needs in the fight against extreme poverty, private fundraising has become essential for our organisations. Aware of the limited resources of public authorities, we have spent years building networks of individual donors to bridge the gap. These donations enable us to launch innovative social projects that receive little or no public funding, reinforce understaffed services, and upgrade our infrastructure to improve quality.
To scale up our response to the rising tide of homelessness, we’ve invested heavily in private fundraising — encouraged, in part, by repeated calls for financial self-sufficiency. But the federal government’s recent announcement to lower the tax deductibility on donations from 45% to 30% threatens to undermine this progress. This decision will inevitably lead to a drop in donations, precisely at a time when our public funding is also under pressure.
...while severe poverty continues to rise
Homelessness has surged across Belgium over the past 15 years — a fact confirmed not only by intuition, but by hard data. Multiple counts carried out by public and independent institutions show the same alarming trend. Take Brussels: according to Bruss’Help, the number of homeless people rose from 1,724 in 2008 to 9,777 in 2024 — a sixfold increase.
Faced with such an upward spiral, only a bold and coordinated plan can turn the tide. Yet the new federal coalition agreement removes several safety nets for the most vulnerable. We fear this will lead to more people losing their homes, and to an acceleration of long-term, structural homelessness. Our organisations are already at capacity — and unable to meet the growing demand that lies ahead.
A toxic combination: fewer resources and rising pressure on services
It’s possible that the new federal government, in making technically complex decisions, has not fully measured the consequences. We therefore feel it is our duty to raise the alarm. Nobody wants to see an explosion in the number of people living on the streets — that’s not the mark of a wealthy, socially just society. Behind every person without a home is a broken life — and the longer someone stays on the street, the harder and more expensive it becomes to support them back to stability.
Until now, tax relief on donations has allowed the state to address this social crisis cost-effectively. Every euro donated to our work costs the government just 45 cents, sharing the financial responsibility between public authorities and engaged citizens. If the incentive to give is weakened, private donations will fall, and our organisations will be forced to rely more heavily on public funds — undermining the very budget the reform sought to protect.
We call on the new federal government to reconsider its position and adapt its measures accordingly.
[Contact your elected representatives, share this message — every action helps shape the future of thousands of people experiencing homelessness and extreme hardship.]
Signatories:
Infirmiers de rue
L’Ilot
Samusocial
AMA – Federation of Shelters and Support Services for Homeless People
CPVCF
Le Chant d’Oiseau
Le Home Baudouin
Le Home du Pré
Le Comité de la Samaritaine, ASBL
L’Entraide de Saint-Gilles (Diaconia ASBL)
Chèvrefeuille
Resto du Cœur de Saint-Gilles
CASAF ASBL – Aire de Rien (Les Petits Riens)
Pierre d’Angle ASBL
Source ASBL
Rolling Douche ASBL
Service d’Entraide Familiale ASBL (SEF ASBL)
Mères et Enfants ASBL
Maison d’Accueil Saint-Paul ASBL
Maison Maternelle Paul Henricot
ASBL DIOGENES vzw
Les Frangines ASBL
Le Tremplin
Bulle Wasserette Mobile
Maison d’accueil L’Étape ASBL
Maison d’accueil L’Espérance
La Fontaine Liège / Ordre de Malte Belgique ASBL
Braséro – Accueil de jour – ASBL
Les Petits Riens ASBL
Nativitas ASBL
L’Églantier