MPs Djuna Bernard and François Benoy from the Greens recently filed a joint parliamentary enquiry concerned with the ‘housing first’ concept, a government initiative to fight homelessness, support people with medical needs, and help reintroduce people into society.
Both politicians wanted to know more about the number of homeless individuals in the capital’s 24 districts, the number of implemented ‘housing first’ projects, as well as figures of the geographical distribution of said projects.
In her response, Minister for Family Affairs and Integration Corinne Cahen explained that non-profit organisation Inter-Actions has been tasked with the evaluation of the project. The results of said evaluation are expected to be published early next year.
The response further elaborates that the Ministry of Health is also developing a ‘housing first’ offer to support people suffering from addiction, medical distress, or increased medical needs. All budgetary means required for the development of this specific project were granted for the financial year 2022 and the search for a suitable property to house approximately ten beneficiaries has long been underway.
A suitable location was eventually identified in Esch-sur-Alzette, but despite numerous preliminary efforts, discussions, and consultations, the negotiations failed in the end, resulting in the continued search for an alternative site and property.
At present, four people are living in a ‘housing first’ home operated by the Ministry of Health in the capital. In the meantime, the Ministry for Family Affairs has provided housing to 32 people across several municipalities: Luxembourg City, Remich, Troisvierges, and Kayl/Tétange.
