Number of homeless people

What do we see?

The most recently available generic data for Flanders date from the year 2014. During the period from January to February 2014, an estimated 711 adults and 51 children used the winter shelter, while 3,109 adults and 1,675 children were registered with the homeless service. The total homeless population during the same period is estimated at 5,456 persons, 1,700 of whom were children. In addition, 599 persons in Flanders faced the threat of eviction.

Between 2020 and 2022, the King Baudouin Foundation undertook counts at the local level to map homelessness in Flanders. These counts are snapshots taken in only a few Flemish cities, including Leuven and Ghent, and in certain regions, such as the Campine and Limburg. These data therefore do not allow trends to be derived or more generic conclusions to be reached for Flanders.

What’s the aim?

Homelessness has multiple causes and is a complex issue. In a circular economy, we look for materially efficient and sustainable fulfillment of housing needs. The fact that there are people who have no shelter and at the same time there are opportunities available to fill housing needs better shows an essential mismatch. The logical goal is that housing needs are filled for everyone in Flanders.

What does this indicator measure?

This indicator shows how many homeless people Flanders counted between January and February 2014. The data comes from Steunpunt Welzijn, Volksgezondheid en Gezin (Centre for Welfare, Public Health and Family). They calculated this based on the number of people using the homeless shelter or registered with the homeless service. A more recent study by the King Baudouin Foundation provides a snapshot of the number of homeless people in some Flemish cities and regions. However, the exact number of homeless people in Flanders is difficult to extrapolate from these local counts, as these persons have no fixed place of residence and are not always registered with the homeless service.