Brussels

1. Comic Book Capital: Brussels is often referred to as the "Comic Book Capital of the World" due to its rich history in comic book creation. The city is home to famous characters like Tintin and The Smurfs, and it features numerous comic book shops, museums, and street art dedicated to this vibrant culture. 2. Green Spaces: Despite its status as a bustling capital city, Brussels boasts a significant number of parks and green spaces. The Parc du Cinquantenaire, for example, is an expansive park that hosts museums, gardens, and impressive architecture, providing a serene escape from urban life. 3. Diverse Linguistic Landscape: Brussels is officially bilingual, with both French and Dutch recognized as the official languages. This bilingualism is reflected not only in everyday communication but also in the city's signage, education system, and cultural events, showcasing its unique blend of influences from both linguistic communities.

The housing market in Brussels is facing significant challenges. As of 2025, the city has approximately 602,000 homes for 575,000 households. About 63% of residents are renters, while 37% are homeowners. Property prices in Brussels are expected to increase by 3% in 2025, following a 0.5% rise in 2024. The average rent for new tenancies in 2023 was €1,249 per month, an 8.6% increase from 2022. The median rent across all housing types reached €1,100 per month in 2023, a 10% increase from the previous year. Social housing constitutes about 8% of the total housing stock in Brussels. However, the demand far outweighs the supply, with over 53,000 households on the waiting list for social housing as of 2023. The wait time for social housing can exceed 10 years. Cooperative housing initiatives are emerging as an alternative solution to the housing crisis. These projects aim to provide affordable housing options for middle-income residents through community-based ownership models. The Brussels housing market is characterized by rising prices, limited supply, and increasing demand, particularly in the rental sector. This has led to concerns about affordability and accessibility, especially for low and middle-income residents.

The Brussels city administration is actively addressing the housing crisis through several initiatives. The 2019-2024 Housing Plan aims to develop 750 new homes, focusing on energy-efficient and passive housing. The plan includes 14 projects spread throughout the city, incorporating a mix of housing types and community facilities. A major reform requires large residential projects (over 3,500 m²) to allocate 25% for social housing. The city also aims to increase social housing to 15% in each municipality. Urban planning charges are being reformed to boost affordable housing construction, with charges redirected to social housing in areas with less than 15% social housing stock. Concrete programs include: 1. Sustainable Neighborhood Contracts: Renovating vulnerable neighborhoods through public space improvements and housing production. 2. Community Land Trust Brussels: A social real estate developer building affordable housing on collectively-owned land. 3. citydev.brussels: Builds and sells new, affordable housing in neighborhoods lacking residential buildings. 4. SHAPE II project: An EU-backed initiative to showcase affordable housing through sustainability and innovation. These efforts aim to address the acute housing shortage, with over 50,000 households currently on waiting lists. The city is balancing the need for affordable housing with sustainability goals and community development.