Catholic initiative houses 700 people in Belgium by converting religious buildings

The Projet Bethléem initiative has provided housing for nearly 700 people in Belgium over the last 20 years by converting unused religious buildings into affordable homes.

Cardinal Godfried Danneels launched the project in 2006 to address housing precariousness by repurposing available property within the archidiocèse de Malines-Bruxelles. The ASBL Bethléem coordinates these projects by supporting parishes and religious orders that want to give new uses to their vacant structures.

Social real estate agencies manage the finished apartments to ensure that low-income households can access moderate rents. To fund these renovations, the Fonds Bethléem and the Fonds Lucienne Mosmans have provided nearly 2 million euros in total. Recent projects include the Village Sainte-Anne in Anderlecht, a site opened in 2023 through a partnership with ASBL Rafaël. This location contains 52 homes for over 200 residents along with space for social associations.

The organization relies on private donations, which average 120,000 euros per year to fund new developments.