The vacant house has been converted into social housing.

The long-vacant house in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, has been seized to be converted into social housing.

According to a report in the national press, the Brussels-Capital Region has taken over an empty house. The property, located in the affluent municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, which has been vacant since 2014, has come under the control of the Brussels Regional Housing Agency.

THEY TURNED THE ABANDONED HOUSE INTO SOCIAL HOUSING

After this stage, the house will be made available for the use of those in need as social housing for 9 years following the necessary renovations. Thus, for the first time, the law that allows the Region to take over a building that has been left vacant for 12 months in Brussels, without the property owner's permission, and to use it as social housing has been applied. The Brussels-Capital Region had made a legal change in April of last year to address the affordable housing issue in the city.

PREVENTING HOUSES FROM BEING LEFT VACANT

Efforts have been made to identify vacant houses in Brussels, and within this framework, approximately 4,500 empty properties were identified by comparing electricity and water consumption. Legal proceedings were initiated for the 50 houses that were initially determined to be vacant. Despite the official notification made with the regulation, if the properties are not put up for sale or rented out, the Brussels Region can seize the property.