Belgium/Sur la Fontaine night shelter in Liège to double capacity by 2026

The night shelter on rue Sur la Fontaine in Liège is getting a facelift. After having been cleared of asbestos, interior demolition work will begin in a week's time. The project is ambitious, with plans to double the shelter's capacity to 60 beds, but the innovations don't stop there.

The 1,300 square meter building, spread over five floors, will be a modern night shelter. Jean-Paul Bonjean, President of the Liège CPAS, even speaks of a 2.0 shelter: " It will feature a computer point, gender-neutral sanitary facilities, a cubicle for two dogs, a laundry room for managing clothes, and lockers for people's personal belongings. As for capacity, it's sure to double, since the project is designed for around sixty people," he explains.

The building will provide more than just accommodation: " A whole service, the social emergency service, will be housed in the building. They're like the paracommandos of the social sector," he explains.

As for the beds, they will be divided into units of 1 to 8 beds. It's enough to prompt Yves Coppieters, Minister of Solidarity, to say that this shelter could well serve as a model: " Of course, I think we're going beyond the pilot project here. What's also interesting is that we're going to have a much more humane project, because we're going to restructure the building with smaller, more comfortable accommodation.We're going to restructure the building with smaller units, with spaces reserved for women, with more attention paid to hygiene, privacy and so on. Is it set to become a kind of model shelter? Yes, I think so ", he enthuses.

The work must be completed by summer 2026.

Source: www.rtbf.be/