Josaphat housing project faces new consultation amid construction freeze

A new public consultation has been launched for the Josaphat housing project in Schaerbeek, involving plans to build over 500 homes on a 24-hectare site. The inquiry, running from 28 August to 29 September, focuses on the construction of necessary roads and utilities.

The initiative has faced significant opposition from local residents and the nature conservation organization We Are Nature. Critics argue the project contradicts the Brussels government’s coalition agreement, which includes a freeze on construction in the capital. Furthermore, the organization claims the move disregards a November ruling by the French-speaking Court of First Instance in Brussels, which imposed a construction freeze on plots larger than 0.5 hectares until the end of the year.

Jean-Baptiste Godinot, chair of We Are Nature, characterized the government’s actions as a failure to honor promises and a democratic problem. Opponents also cited environmental concerns, noting the project is ill-suited to current climate challenges such as historic droughts and heat-related mortality in the region.