The Federation of Social Sector Actors (FEDAS) has urged the government, municipalities, and citizens to act on Luxembourg's housing crisis, stressing that emergency measures are not enough and calling for coordinated efforts across ministries through its social advocacy initiative.

A week ago, the Federation of Social Sector Actors (FEDAS) issued its plaidoyer social, or social advocacy paper, appealing to political leaders and citizens alike to make housing available for those without shelter.

The call followed a press conference in early September where around 150 Eritrean refugees, who had already been granted protection status, warned that they could no longer remain in asylum structures yet were unable to secure accommodation on the private market. FEDAS urged the government and municipalities to provide more emergency housing, while stressing that this is still not enough to resolve the problem.

To underline the urgency, the organisation's housing and social cohesion platforms jointly addressed a letter to four ministries; namely, Housing, Family, Finance, and Home Affairs, with specific proposals. Manou Flammang from the housing platform explained that FEDAS works closely with ministries and often collaborates well with individual departments, but the housing crisis cuts across responsibilities and goes far beyond what any single ministry can handle.

The social advocacy paper also appeals directly to individuals who might be able to provide housing, while FEDAS insists that municipalities should shoulder more responsibility. Marc Faramelli, who coordinates the social advocacy initiative within FEDAS, pointed out that only 34 out of 100 municipalities are currently engaged in refugee accommodation, and stressed that the other two-thirds need to take action too. Even small-scale projects, he added, would be valuable.

According to Faramelli, affordable housing remains scarce, leaving recognised refugees unable to find places to live. He explained that this is an issue that requires coordinated efforts across ministries, and he suggested that PM Luc Frieden might need to make the matter a top-level priority, as former PM Jean-Claude Juncker once claimed to do so in 2002.

Vacuum in social advocacy

FEDAS launched its social advocacy initiative nearly a year ago, shortly after the Caritas fraud scandal left a vacuum in social advocacy. Asked whether FEDAS was now filling the gap left by Caritas, Faramelli replied that perhaps several organisations are needed to carry that role together. He emphasised that FEDAS does not claim to replace Caritas or seek comparisons, but is doing its best to ensure that important issues continue to be addressed.

Beyond housing, the social advocacy initiative also highlights the problem of early school leaving in Luxembourg, showing that there is no shortage of pressing social challenges.

The letter from FEDAS to the four relevant ministries was sent last Thursday. As of yet, the federation has not received a reply.