Modular housing for homeless people
Basic information
Project Title
Modular housing for homeless people
Full project title
Implementation of bio-based and low consumption modular housing for homeless people in Brussels
Category
Prioritising the places and people that need it the most
Project Description
5 homeless persons are being relocated after the implementation of the first "HUMAH modular housing" in Brussels at the end of the year 2022.
HUMAH ambition is to increase the supply of affordable housing to fight against homelessness based on 3 pillars :
- building high quality, bio-based and low consumption housing for the most vulnerable people ;
- working with people excluded from the labor market during the construction phase ;
- converting urban wastelands into sustainable city spaces.
HUMAH ambition is to increase the supply of affordable housing to fight against homelessness based on 3 pillars :
- building high quality, bio-based and low consumption housing for the most vulnerable people ;
- working with people excluded from the labor market during the construction phase ;
- converting urban wastelands into sustainable city spaces.
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Brussels , Belgium
Urban or rural issues
Mainly urban
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
HUMAH ambition is to increase the supply of affordable housing to fight against homelessness based on 3 pillars :
- building high quality, bio-based and low consumption housing for the most vulnerable people;
- working with people excluded from the labor market during the construction phase;
- converting urban wastelands into sustainable urban areas.
HUMAH is an NGO which has been created by the belgium NGO Archi Human and the French solidarity-based SME Foncière Chênelet :
-Archi Human, a Belgian NGO, founded by Luc SCHUITEN architect, aims to provide the homeless with decent housing and psycho-social support with the help of its member associations (Infirmiers de Rue, Diogènes and SMES-B) : https://archihuman.com/
-Foncière Chênelet, a French solidarity-based and social SME, brings to the HUMAH projects its competencies in ecological construction of social housing training people excluded from the labor market : https://fonciere-chenelet.org
HUMAH is developing two kinds of new projects on the so called "urban wasteland", following the "Housing First" approach :
- Construction of social housing : one ongoing project (Evere, Belgium)
- Provision of modular housing : project completed presented here (Brussels, Belgium)
The implementation of high quality modular housing carried out by HUMAH offers a new housing solution to increase the supply of affordable housing for homeless people in Brussels. In this project HUMAH has provided 5 modular housing designed to restore confidence and dignity to homeless people living on the streets for many years.
This project has been set up in partnership with Infirmier de Rue, a belgium NGO providing psycho-social support to homeless people. Another partner is the NGO Baita in charge of renting the 5 modular houses.
Those 5 modular housing have been implemented in the second half of 2022 on a land owned by the municipality (CPAS) in Neder-Over-Heembeek in Brussels.
- building high quality, bio-based and low consumption housing for the most vulnerable people;
- working with people excluded from the labor market during the construction phase;
- converting urban wastelands into sustainable urban areas.
HUMAH is an NGO which has been created by the belgium NGO Archi Human and the French solidarity-based SME Foncière Chênelet :
-Archi Human, a Belgian NGO, founded by Luc SCHUITEN architect, aims to provide the homeless with decent housing and psycho-social support with the help of its member associations (Infirmiers de Rue, Diogènes and SMES-B) : https://archihuman.com/
-Foncière Chênelet, a French solidarity-based and social SME, brings to the HUMAH projects its competencies in ecological construction of social housing training people excluded from the labor market : https://fonciere-chenelet.org
HUMAH is developing two kinds of new projects on the so called "urban wasteland", following the "Housing First" approach :
- Construction of social housing : one ongoing project (Evere, Belgium)
- Provision of modular housing : project completed presented here (Brussels, Belgium)
The implementation of high quality modular housing carried out by HUMAH offers a new housing solution to increase the supply of affordable housing for homeless people in Brussels. In this project HUMAH has provided 5 modular housing designed to restore confidence and dignity to homeless people living on the streets for many years.
This project has been set up in partnership with Infirmier de Rue, a belgium NGO providing psycho-social support to homeless people. Another partner is the NGO Baita in charge of renting the 5 modular houses.
Those 5 modular housing have been implemented in the second half of 2022 on a land owned by the municipality (CPAS) in Neder-Over-Heembeek in Brussels.
Key objectives for sustainability
HUMAH housing is designed to maximise environmental performance and energy efficiency. Fighting against energy poverty is one of the pillars of this project in order to reduce the energy cost as much as possible for the inhabitants, but also to lower the environmental impact of building during their entire life cycle. HUMAH construction work is based on renewable and healthy resources such as wood, straw, terracotta bricks, green roof, water-rain recovery, etc.
The modular housing implemented in Brussels are composed of wooden modules (wooden framework, cladding, battens...), wood triple-glazed windows and include a bio-based insulation with wood fiber providing a high energy efficiency as well as a thermic and hygrometric regulation which is a source of comfort for the inhabitants. The wood used for HUMAH Housing projects come as much as possible from the North of France Region and from sustainably managed forests.
Furthermore, by implementing "light" housing, this project contributes to the no net land take objective as well as to recycling wasteland into green and sustainable urban areas. These modular houses will be relocated to other places when needed.
Lastly, HUMAH provides housing solutions integrating the training of people excluded from the labor market during the off-site construction phase. Its model is based on off-site prefabrication of housing elements in order to employ people that can increase their skills in a progressive way as well as raise awareness in the eco-construction field.
The modular housing implemented in Brussels are composed of wooden modules (wooden framework, cladding, battens...), wood triple-glazed windows and include a bio-based insulation with wood fiber providing a high energy efficiency as well as a thermic and hygrometric regulation which is a source of comfort for the inhabitants. The wood used for HUMAH Housing projects come as much as possible from the North of France Region and from sustainably managed forests.
Furthermore, by implementing "light" housing, this project contributes to the no net land take objective as well as to recycling wasteland into green and sustainable urban areas. These modular houses will be relocated to other places when needed.
Lastly, HUMAH provides housing solutions integrating the training of people excluded from the labor market during the off-site construction phase. Its model is based on off-site prefabrication of housing elements in order to employ people that can increase their skills in a progressive way as well as raise awareness in the eco-construction field.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
HUMAH housing projects design housing with bio-based material which make them healthy and confortable for the inhabitants, but also aesthetic with the outside and inside wooden cladding. This aesthetic dimension is even more visible when the housing project is located on a field tagged as a wasteland which brings a completely new vision of the urban spaces. The choice of wood is a choice of comfort and integration for inhabitants of the modular and for the city: it brings the forest back to the city.
Furthermore, the modular housing design has been thought with NGO working daily with homeless people in order to provide quality housing adapted to their needs.
Furthermore, the modular housing design has been thought with NGO working daily with homeless people in order to provide quality housing adapted to their needs.
Key objectives for inclusion
In terms of inclusion, this project aims to rehouse and sustainably support people who have lived in the street for many years. HUMAH projects are following the "Housing First" approach which prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness. In this respect, the modular housing project is seen as the foundation for life improvement and this is even more important to provide high quality and long term housing solutions to those people.
The ecological aspect is also key in our objective of inclusion, because the poorest are often the ones that are far away from ecology… but are people who need it the most !
The ecological aspect is also key in our objective of inclusion, because the poorest are often the ones that are far away from ecology… but are people who need it the most !
Results in relation to category
The project's results at this stage are the following :
- 5 persons sustainably rehoused in affordable housing (in terms of rent and charges) with psycho-social support ;
- Land valuation for the owner (CPAS) with a sustainable and social project
- Unemployed people trained back to work ;
- Amount of Biosourced raw materials / CO2 avoidance.
As the 5 persons have just been rehoused, more social impact and results will be available during the year 2023. The first results will be presented in the next annual activity report published by Infirmier de rue.
- 5 persons sustainably rehoused in affordable housing (in terms of rent and charges) with psycho-social support ;
- Land valuation for the owner (CPAS) with a sustainable and social project
- Unemployed people trained back to work ;
- Amount of Biosourced raw materials / CO2 avoidance.
As the 5 persons have just been rehoused, more social impact and results will be available during the year 2023. The first results will be presented in the next annual activity report published by Infirmier de rue.
How Citizens benefit
Through the partnership with Infirmier de rue, which is working daily with homeless people in the street, the needs of this population have been taken into account in the development of the modular housing project. The development of the modular homes comes from Infirmiers de Rue experience.
This housing solution has been chosen because it corresponds particularly well to a section of the targeted population, for whom the integration of a more traditional social housing can be complicated.
This housing solution has been chosen because it corresponds particularly well to a section of the targeted population, for whom the integration of a more traditional social housing can be complicated.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Innovative character
Environmental innovation : bring ecology to the poorest. Ecological housing allows important savings on usual consumption charges, is a source of wellbeing and comfort, but the sector is still underdeveloped and is mainly for wealthier people. So we choose to build healthy and comfortable ecological houses for people with the lowest incomes.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
The design of our modular homes comes from 3 different fields, which are specialties of the different stakeholders : eco-construction (build in a global approach, thanks to natural resources, for a sustainable investment, living places), social work (work with people to empower them) and project management (mix skills to achieve a specific goal) .
Thanks to the interaction of stakeholders and their specific skills we achieve to create a solution that fits the inhabitants needs but more broadly societal needs : inclusion and sustainability.
Thanks to the interaction of stakeholders and their specific skills we achieve to create a solution that fits the inhabitants needs but more broadly societal needs : inclusion and sustainability.
Methodology used
Design of the modular homes from the street experience of Infirmiers de Rue and Foncière Chênelet ecological social housing experience.
How stakeholders are engaged
The following stakeholders are part of the modular housing project in Brussels :
- HUMAH : provider of the modular housing solution ;
- Chênelet : construction of the modular housing solution by training people excluded from the labor market ;
- Brussels' public center for social action (CPAS) : providing the land where the project have been implanted ;
- Infirmier de rue : providing the psycho-social support to the rehoused persons ;
- Baita : a social rental agency managing the rental part of the project.
- HUMAH : provider of the modular housing solution ;
- Chênelet : construction of the modular housing solution by training people excluded from the labor market ;
- Brussels' public center for social action (CPAS) : providing the land where the project have been implanted ;
- Infirmier de rue : providing the psycho-social support to the rehoused persons ;
- Baita : a social rental agency managing the rental part of the project.
Global challenges
HUMAH provides local solution to tackle the following global challenges :
*Housing crisis and lack of affordable housing : the main challenge for HUMAH is to developp new projects and approaches to provide more social housing for the most vulnerable people.
*Global warming : HUMAH housing is designed to maximise environmental performance and energy efficiency.
* Land wasting : reuse abandoned land to host temporary housing
*Housing crisis and lack of affordable housing : the main challenge for HUMAH is to developp new projects and approaches to provide more social housing for the most vulnerable people.
*Global warming : HUMAH housing is designed to maximise environmental performance and energy efficiency.
* Land wasting : reuse abandoned land to host temporary housing
Learning transferred to other parties
Other projects could be developed using temporary occupation of the land to answer the housing crisis that impacts mainly the most vulnerable. HUMAH's ambition is to keep on developing such projects in partnership with municipalities interested in offering innovative housing solutions for the citizens who need it the most.
Keywords
housing first / affordable housing for homeless people
bio-based construction
low consumption housing
training of persons excluded from the labour market
urban wasteland conversion
