The Wanteraktioun (WAK), Luxembourg’s annual winter shelter initiative for homeless individuals, will open earlier than scheduled this year due to dropping temperatures.
Beginning on 14 November, the service will be available to the public, marking a one-day advance on its originally planned opening date.
To access the WAK, individuals must register on a daily basis. The initiative also provides warm meals, medical assistance, and sanitary facilities, each of which requires separate registration.
During the 2025 season, the initiative supported 1,840 individuals, recording a total of 27,994 overnight stays.
Eligibility criteria for the WAK were tightened two years ago, excluding individuals travelling to Luxembourg from abroad solely to use the overnight shelter. However, this restriction is waived when overnight temperatures drop below freezing, at which point all individuals are admitted. Sub-zero temperatures occur on roughly a quarter to a third of the initiative's 150 operational nights. These eligibility rules remain unchanged for the upcoming 2026/2027 season.
