In recent days, inaccurate information has been circulating regarding the funding of the Cold Weather Plan, suggesting that the scheme might be scrapped. The Mouvement Réformateur wishes to set the record straight: the Cold Weather Plan will indeed be maintained. No decision has been taken to abandon it.
As President Georges-Louis Bouchez has reiterated, this involves a budget of €300,000, shared between five major Belgian cities (Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi, Ghent and Liège) to help homeless people. This is an essential measure to provide them with protection and shelter during the winter period.
Solidarity and human dignity above all
The MR insists: the fight against exclusion and poverty remains a top priority. Helping those sleeping on the streets is not an option, it is a duty of solidarity and dignity. The Cold Weather Plan will therefore continue to play its full role in protecting the most vulnerable in the depths of winter.
An institutional debate, not a debate over substance
The only question that arises today concerns the division of powers and funding: should the federal government or the Regions bear this financial support? This discussion follows naturally from the country's institutional evolution.
But the MR wants to be clear: whichever level of government is involved, continuity of support is guaranteed. Whether the federal government or the Regions take on the funding, the resources will be released to ensure the plan is implemented.
Stop the fake news, time for responsibility
The MR calls for an end to false information that unnecessarily creates concern. The message is simple: no homeless person will be left behind. The Mouvement Réformateur will remain vigilant to ensure the Regions fully assume their responsibilities and that this policy is implemented effectively and close to the ground.
As Georges-Louis Bouchez concluded: “With the MR, we will always stand alongside the men and women who need support and solidarity, and who must be able to live in dignity.”