Fair Ground Brussels, in partnership with the Commune of Forest and the New Samu Social, acquired a building in Forest. This office building will be converted into a community living space for precarious women with children.
The Nova Casa Vesta project is in line with the ‘Casas’ concept launched in 2021 by the New Samu Social, by devising a new approach to accommodation based on comprehensive social support to encourage the autonomy of the people housed. The Nova Casa Vesta aims to accommodate single women or women with children, who are vulnerable because of their precarious situation and are often discriminated against. These difficulties combine to make it difficult for them to access to their socio-administrative rights, finding accommodation or training/work.
The project takes place in the Commune of Forest, within ‘Maxima’ complex, which has been home to a ‘pilot’ version of the Casa Vesta project since 2022. Located just a stone’s throw from Forest park, the building will undergo a complete and sustainable renovation.
The Nova Casa Vesta project offers the women who live there comprehensive social support, integrating personal, professional and administrative aspects, as well as actively seeking accommodation. All these elements work together to weave a multidisciplinary network, whether professional or personal, in order to establish autonomy, self-confidence and self-esteem so that they can bounce back.
This support is provided in two stages: Extracting people from the large emergency centres for whom domiciliation is a key factor in unlocking their administrative situations (income, family allowances, opening a bank account, etc.), medical situations (medical card, health insurance, GP, etc.), residency, etc.). Casa Vesta is then designed as a place of collective transitional accommodation where people can take up residence. Second stage, building a network and reactivating rights. Casa Vesta aims to support residents in setting up their local network (Maisons Médicales, CPAS, family planning, etc.) based on their individual needs, which they can continue to rely on once they have been oriented towards permanent housing.
The property is being sold by the Commune of Forest to Fair Ground Brussels, which will carry out a thorough and sustainable renovation of the building. This comprehensive renovation will focus on improving the building’s energy performance, using recycled or bio-sourced materials and, of course, improving the living and reception environment of the site to ensure the project’s sustainability of the project. Particular attention is paid to the communal living areas. On completion of the work, the property will be rented out to the New Samu Social, which will provide support for the residents and their children.
This project is the result of an ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) co-financing.
