Rental and purchase prices continue to rise while thousands of families, such as Peace Uwimpuhwe’s, face economic and social barriers even with stable incomes. The housing market in Brussels (Belgium) is going through a period of intense pressure, characterised by a sustained increase in both rents and property prices. Over the last two years, rents have risen significantly: 10% in 2023 and a further 5% in 2024. Following these increases, the average rent for a property now stands at £1,321, according to data from the Brussels Confederation of Real Estate Professionals (CIB). This development has been accompanied by a 23% drop in the supply of rental housing, which has further exacerbated the shortage and raised barriers to access.
In the sales market, prices also continue to rise. In the first quarter of 2025, the average price of an apartment stood at £265,000, while for a semi-detached house it reached £525,000, with a year-on-year increase of 7.1%, according to the latest reading from the national statistics institute Statbel. New-build prices have risen by more than 23% since 2020, exceeding £3,500 per square metre, and forecasts by real estate consultancy Investropa point to a further increase of up to 4% this year.
A family of four without a home
In this situation, accessing decent housing in Brussels can be unattainable even for those with solid financial resources. This is demonstrated by the story of Peace Uwimpuhwe and her three children, a family who, despite having a monthly budget of £1,600 for rent, have been homeless for over a week after being forced to leave the social housing where they had lived for 15 years. According to RTBF, their belongings remain in storage and the family has been forced to split up temporarily between friends’ homes.
The search for an alternative on the private market has been unsuccessful. Uwimpuhwe focused her efforts on south-west Brussels to avoid her children, one of whom has a disability, having to change schools. However, prices in the municipalities of Saint-Gilles, Forest and Uccle far exceed the family’s budget, with rents reaching £2,400 for a four-bedroom house.
Despite having a monthly income of around £3,400, including wages and disability benefits for one of their children, the obstacles are mounting. According to Belgian national radio, landlords often reject their application because his temporary employment contract expires in 2026 and represents the family’s only stable income, even though the country’s legislation prohibits such exclusions. Added to this is the stigma associated with large and single-parent families. Uwimpuhwe also acknowledges that her Rwandan origin could influence landlords’ refusal, a persistent reality in the property market according to the Unia association.
The price of private housing shot up by 12.2% in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2024, recording its highest year-on-year increase since the first quarter of 2007, according to the Housing Price Index (IPV) published on Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). (Source: Europa Press / EBS)
Social housing or mortgages, alternatives that are difficult to access
The situation is even worse in the public sector: in the Brussels Region, more than 50,000 families are waiting for social housing, and the wait can exceed 15 years for larger units. The municipality of Saint-Gilles itself acknowledges that it does not have the resources to respond to these urgent needs.
Having exhausted all avenues for renting, Peace tried to buy a home through the Citydev programme, paying 5% of the property value up front. However, she was met with systematic refusal from banks and public bodies to grant her a mortgage, which will soon leave her with no option to buy.
