‘No council flats’ for non-Dutch speakers

3 January 2005

BRUSSELS – Antwerp’s main public housing authorities will soon only give state-funded homes to Dutch speakers, it has been claimed.

According to La Libre Belgique citing Flemish newspaper De Standaard, three of the city’s biggest public housing operators will soon introduce a ‘Flemish speakers only’ rule for allocating low rent apartments.

La Libre Belgique says one of the companies concerned already applies such a rule, albeit on an informal basis.

Citing De Standaard, La Libre says that candidates for low rent homes in Antwerp do not have to pass a language exam.

But it says that social workers will note in a candidate’s file if a person does not speak Dutch well enough.

This effectively ends any chances of getting publicly subsidised accommodation, the newspaper argues.

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian news