Brussels Removes 500 Social Housing Applicants for Property Ownership

This information comes as Flanders recently reported that nearly half of the social housing tenants surveyed had violated the property rule, including Moroccans.

Nawal Ben Hamou recalled that the current regulations stipulate that applicant tenants and their relatives cannot own real estate property, either in full ownership, emphyteusis or usufruct. In case of false declaration, the housing application will be considered null and void and, if the housing has already been allocated, the lease will be terminated.

According to the Brussels Secretary of State, cited by Belga, the Public Housing Companies (SISP) now have access to the data of the FPS Finance, which allows them to verify the information provided by social housing tenants and detect any properties. She also stressed that such checks, whether in Belgium or abroad, result in the termination of leases in the sector each year.

Finally, Ms. Ben Hamou recalled that the new obligation to declare real estate properties located abroad will be used to inform the SISP of the properties of social housing tenants via the tax notices. This declaration obligation was introduced in response to the Panama Papers revelations in 2016.