MR verbindt met het vertrek van Mostefa 131 miljoen euro in Brusselse woningfondsen

Mostefa, a PS politician and Anderlecht’s housing alderman, was re-elected chairman of the Anderlechtse Haard on 17 August. De Standaard reported that he won with five votes, including support from a Les Engagés director who went against her party’s stated position. The company, called Foyer Anderlechtois in French, manages social housing in the commune of Anderlecht.

His continued leadership is contested following allegations that he intervened in individual housing files. Those allegations gained prominence through a VRT Pano investigation and were subsequently examined politically and judicially. BRUZZ reported that the Brussels public prosecutor opened an investigation and that searches took place at the housing company and Mostefa’s home on 28 May. A search or investigation does not establish criminal responsibility, and no final judicial finding against Mostefa has been reported. He and PS representatives have rejected the characterisation that he personally handed out homes or operated a system of favouritism.

A Brussels parliamentary inquiry later heard 50 witnesses during 143 hours of hearings, according to BRUZZ. The parliament approved the majority’s recommendations on 17 July, but the process remained disputed: opposition members and several rapporteurs criticised its compressed timetable and handling. Mostefa appeared before the committee but did not answer members’ substantive questions, BRUZZ reported. The judicial investigation remained separate and ongoing.

Bouchez presents the funding condition as a test of whether public money can be entrusted to the sector after those governance concerns. The office of Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès, also of MR, told De Standaard that the government aimed to honour its agreement and refinance the BGHM, but wanted concrete guarantees of proper management and institutions free from illegal or unethical practices.

PS figures frame the move differently. A PS source quoted by BRUZZ called it a political attack that could paralyse the regional government and make MR responsible for any resulting harm to the BGHM. The disagreement is consequently both a governance dispute and a struggle over proportionality: whether concerns surrounding one local company justify withholding financing from the regional body serving the whole capital.

The controversy does not create a new application route. The official BGHM/SLRB portal says prospective tenants must apply through one chosen OVM as their reference company. That company can transmit the application to other selected OVMs among the region’s network. Applicants receive a regional registration number and should respond to requests, report changes in household circumstances and renew their file when instructed. Income ceilings and other eligibility rules are indexed, so applicants should consult the current figures rather than rely on older brochures.

Brussels’ bilingual administration can be confusing for newcomers. “Anderlechtse Haard” and “Foyer Anderlechtois” are the Dutch and French names of the same company; likewise, BGHM and SLRB refer to the same regional institution. The official portal and forms are available in Dutch and French. Residents may use either language when dealing with these Brussels public bodies and should retain copies of forms, registered letters and acknowledgements of receipt.

Allocations normally follow waiting-list position and statutory preference rights. The BGHM explains that an OVM may depart from the ranking in urgent and exceptional circumstances only with the consent of the regional social delegate. If an applicant believes a registration, removal or allocation decision was mishandled, Article 76 of the Brussels Housing Code provides a two-stage route: first submit a written complaint to the OVM by registered post or deliver it at the registered office against a receipt; an appeal to the BGHM may follow where applicable. The regional portal warns that specific deadlines can apply.

Anderlechtse Haard lists its administrative address at Birminghamstraat/Rue de Birmingham 221 and in-person sessions at Victor Rauterstraat/Rue Victor Rauter 34. Candidates should check the BGHM directory for current opening hours before travelling. Questions about an individual file should go to the reference OVM, not to a political party or cabinet.

The next decisive step is the Brussels government’s treatment of the €131 million package. The points to watch are whether ministers formally authorise the payment, attach governance conditions, phase the financing or identify alternative liquidity for the BGHM. It also remains unknown which projects would be delayed first if the disagreement persists, whether Mostefa will remain chairman, and when the prosecutor’s investigation will reach a conclusion. Until those questions are resolved, the political threat is real, but its practical effects on individual households should not be overstated.