Rafaël: a fair housing project for the poor in Brussels
History
priest Reginald Rahoens was strongly affected by the social needs in the Saint Guido Parish in Anderlecht. To combat it, he directed the non-profit organization Raphael in 1997, when he was able to buy the building of the old Sint-Anna clinic from the Soeurs Hospitalières du très Saint-Sauveur. He took in people in difficulty and lived there himself. Thanks to the board of directors, the work of Rafaël was continued above priest Rahoens who passed away in 2011. By 2015, the number of people living in the former clinic shelter had grown to 300. And all this without any government support.
Building restoration
At the end of 2016, the municipality of Anderlecht no longer met the legal requirements (trial 23/12/2016). The situation was so bad that the municipality forbade us not to take in a new resident and that a large number of rooms should not be cleared. The governing body decided to thoroughly renovate the large building with a living area of 10,000 m². Price tag: 10 million euros. Because this was far beyond the capabilities of the non-profit organization Rafaël, the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels was approached. That was prepared to support because it is an actual and very concrete evangelically developed project. The building, which was given to the Archdiocese. That will restore the building and then it will be managed by Rafaël to continue his social goal: the reintegration of vulnerable people in our society.
social goals
The new center will choose 52 homes with a social purpose. And that in collaboration with several partners, including the vzw ‘t Eilandje (accommodation of persons without shelter), Stuff Help (and their project of assisted living for people coming from shelters) and the vzw Cozy (providing housing to refugees). The center will take into account a dozen homes for emergency shelter or during transit. A health center, social restaurant, food bank and classrooms for the parish will also be provided. The chapel will also reopen after the work is completed.
This shows that the social objectives are retained even if these social objectives are given a different structure.
Residence for all former residents
The renovation, which is ordered by the municipality and will take two years, could only take place if the old entire building was vacated. From 2017, a new home was sought for and with each resident unit. Together with the municipality of Anderlecht and its social services, together with the social services of Cureghem, which protects permanence, together with the tenants’ syndicate of Anderlecht. In the end, at the beginning of 2021 there were only a few residents left who had not found a solution. The non-profit organization Rafaël has rented a building for them with about twenty rooms. In June 2021, five rooms were still empty. There were still rooms available for residents who would not have found shelter. This is in the context of the evidence to that effect.
Food Bank
Rafaël’s food bank has continued to work all this time. She delivered food packages to more than 600 people three times a week. Three to ten volunteers are responsible for this: Raphael residents and others. We strongly deny that this was a compulsory work, as this was a compulsory work. Any more than for the purchase of tables and chairs donated by the Icelandic embassy.
bridging loan
Another lie that is being spread is that one of the directors of the non-profit organization was allegedly given money. The facts, factually substantiated by documents: A bridging loan was granted to one of the directors, a single person with five children who was in a financially precarious situation without her will. This credit is fully repaid, with interest. A legal proceeding. We further emphasize that no Raphael driver has ever used money. The non-profit organization Rafaël has never received subsidies from any government agency.
Rafaël is an honest project that provides poor people in Brussels with decent housing.
We are deeply shocked by the untruths being spread about this.
Herman Cosijns, chairman of the board of directors vzw Rafaël