A housing project is being developed in Niederkorn that aims not only to create affordable housing, but above all to offer new prospects to people who struggle to find a home on the housing market.
In the Mathendall district, the Luxembourg Red Cross has purchased eight houses and 33 flats intended for individuals and families supported by its Solidarity Housing Support Unit, a service that provides social support in housing matters.
Six of the houses are already occupied, while the rest of the project is due to be completed by the end of the year.
Since April, one of the houses has been home to a Syrian family with three children. The family initially lived in a reception centre before turning to the Red Cross for help.
They were then given accommodation in Esch, but only on a three-year contract. At night, the family could barely sleep, mother Noura Hawot recalled, as the uncertainty over their future and the fear of not finding another home became increasingly difficult to bear.
Today, they can hardly believe they have finally found a place where the family can stay.
Hawot said they finally felt safe and able to lead a calm life. She explained that they had searched for housing every day, asking people they knew and looking online, but had almost lost hope.
Their lives had now changed completely, she said, adding that for the first time in a long while, she, her husband, and their family no longer felt under constant pressure.
The project is supported by a Red Cross service that assists people and families in difficult life situations, helping them rebuild a stable housing situation. Those concerned also receive support in everyday life.
After their situation has been assessed, they are placed on a waiting list and, depending on their needs, may be offered suitable accommodation, explained Valérie Schaaf, a social worker at the Red Cross.
Schaaf said this support could include a Red Cross guarantee to help people access private housing, placement on a waiting list with social housing providers, or affordable housing such as the homes in Niederkorn.
She noted that the Red Cross also helps residents settle in by assigning a housing contact person, who explains how the home functions and how to live alongside neighbours, while social support continues to help guide families towards a positive outcome.
Demand for affordable housing remains high. Around 100 individuals and families are currently on the Red Cross waiting list. Director Michel Simonis said that, as part of its 2030 strategy, the organisation is therefore continuing to create new housing opportunities in order to offer more families a future perspective.
Simonis explained that the Red Cross currently has another 250 homes under construction and will continue investing until 2030. Waiting lists remain very long, he added, while conditions in refugee accommodation are often highly precarious.
Many people living in such structures already have international protection status and, in his view, should no longer be housed there but should instead be able to live in ordinary housing.
The project received financial support from the Schuman Fund and the Ministry of Housing, among others. Under the affordable housing law, the ministry can co-finance up to 75% of the project.
The Luxembourg Red Cross also stressed the importance of cooperation between public, private, and social partners in tackling the housing crisis in the long term.
