On Tuesday morning, the director general of Caritas, Marc Crochet, was a guest on RTL Radio.
Caritas estimates that there are currently a few hundred homeless people in Luxembourg. However, there are no reliable figures, the Caritas director general regretted, despite the fact that the government "has been promising to deliver those numbers for years". The 'Wanteraktioun' ("Winter Action"), which offers homeless people a place to sleep during the winter months, gives the charity at least a rough estimate, Crochet explained. In 2021 alone, over 800 people took advantage of the offer.
Living on the streets is a "no man's land" for young people between 18 and 25
In recent years, Caritas noticed that young people between 18 and 25 have a particularly high risk of ending up on the streets or in precarious situations, Crochet stated. But as there are no reliable figures, these observations can only be described as a trend, the director general of Caritas acknowledged. He criticised that many aids and services that currently exist in Luxembourg are not suited for young people. According to Crochet, it is a "no man's land" for young people between 18 and 25 because while under-18s receive aids aimed at minors, the Social Inclusion Income (REVIS) only applies from the age of 25. For this reason, Crochet thinks that it should be seriously considered to lower the age limit for REVIS applicants under certain conditions.
Structures and services not suited for young people
While the different structures technically have enough places available, many are simply not suited for young people, Crochet criticised. If young people are in regular contact with people who have spent their whole life on the streets, they risk adapting certain bad habits, according to Crochet. In order to receive a flat, for instance, applicants first had to undergo therapy, the director general of Caritas cited as an example. However, Caritas has adapted its services in recent years. Crochet explained that the new approach notably prioritises giving young people access to flats without any strings attached.
In a country such as Luxembourg, no one should be forced to live on the streets, Crochet stressed. While there is an increasing number of people who choose to live on the streets, Crochet pointed out that many others do not have a choice at all. In other countries, such as Finland, there are systems in place that prioritise giving people access to housing, Crochet explained, adding that measures like these have helped reduce the need for emergency structures.
The director general of Caritas also discussed the rising energy prices and the problems faced by low-income households. For Caritas, it is important that the measures are targeted and benefit those who really need help, Crochet explained. Simply giving every household €100 would not help anyone, he criticised. Crochet also proposes raising the cost-of-living benefit, even though he acknowledged that this would merely mitigate the effects of inflation and not price increases caused by international issues such as the crisis in Ukraine. Another option would be to lower VAT in the short-term, Crochet stated.
