What is an 'inschuifwijk', and why is Flanders building its first one?
Het Nieuwsblad reports the guiding idea is that residents should not have to disappear from their familiar surroundings during works.
In 30 seconds
- Het Nieuwsblad reports Flanders is preparing its first 'inschuifwijk' (slide-in neighbourhood).
- The concept builds new homes inside an existing estate first so residents can move nearby while their old homes are renovated or rebuilt.
- The stated aim is that residents should not have to leave their familiar surroundings during renovation works.
- Flanders' social housing is run by VMSW and by local woonmaatschappijen created in a 2023 merger of former SHM and SVK bodies.
An 'inschuifwijk' (slide-in or insert neighbourhood) is a social-housing renewal method in which new dwellings are built within or beside an existing estate before the old homes are touched. Residents move ('inschuiven') into the new homes nearby, after which their former dwellings are renovated or demolished in rotation — keeping the community physically intact during works. Key entities: the Vlaamse Maatschappij voor Sociaal Wonen (VMSW), which finances and supervises social construction; the *woonmaatschappijen*, the local housing companies created by a 2023 merger of the former social housing companies (SHM) and rental agencies (SVK); the agency Wonen in Vlaanderen, which sets policy; and the tenants covered by *herhuisvesting* (rehousing) rules. Het Nieuwsblad reports Flanders is preparing the region's first such neighbourhood.
Background
Much of Flanders' social housing dates from a rapid post-war building push in the 1960s and 1970s and is now energy-inefficient. Historically, renovating or replacing such estates meant emptying them and rehousing tenants elsewhere, frequently splitting long-standing communities. The sector was reorganised in 2023, merging social housing companies and social rental agencies into single woonmaatschappijen per working area, and the current renovation drive is shaped by Flanders' long-term energy goals alongside the EU's push to upgrade the worst-performing buildings.
What to do
Flemish social tenants facing renovation should ask their woonmaatschappij early and in writing whether any move is temporary or permanent, what rent and location are offered, and whether return is guaranteed; correspondence is in Dutch, so involve the Huurdersbond, a social worker or the sociaal huis if needed. Rights and contacts are on www.woneninvlaanderen.be and www.vmsw.be.
The Belgian angle
The project sits squarely in Flanders and runs through Flemish institutions — VMSW, the local woonmaatschappijen and Wonen in Vlaanderen. If it works, it could reshape how estate renewals across Flemish municipalities are sequenced, prioritising residents' continuity over the fastest possible site clearance.
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- 25 Jul 2026
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- 25 Jul 2026
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