Brussels Parliament Backs Foyer Anderlechtois Reforms
The Brussels Parliament has officially validated the 26 recommendations made by the parliamentary inquiry commission investigating the Foyer Anderlechtois affair, marking a pivotal step toward reforming governance in the Brussels social housing sector. The vote, held on July 17 during the Parliament’s final session before the summer recess, passed with 51 votes in favor, 24 against, and 6 abstentions, according to RTBF.
Background: A Scandal That Shook Brussels Housing
The Foyer Anderlechtois (Anderlecht Haard) is the largest social housing company in the Brussels-Capital Region, managing approximately 3,800 units. The scandal erupted in May 2026 following an investigative report by the VRT program “Pano,” which spent 18 months investigating allegations of favoritism and clientelism at the housing agency.
The report centered on Lotfi Mostefa, the Socialist Party (PS) president of the Foyer Anderlechtois and alderman for housing in Anderlecht. According to the investigation, an Excel spreadsheet was compiled with names of 800-900 recent housing beneficiaries to contact them personally for electoral support during the 2024 municipal elections. An ex-secretary testified that she was asked to print electoral flyers and conduct mailings during working hours using Foyer equipment. Audio recordings captured Mostefa instructing staff to organize beneficiaries by neighborhood for campaign purposes.
The Inquiry Commission’s Work
Established in early June under pressure from opposition parties and coalition partners, the commission heard 50 witnesses over approximately 143 hours. However, its conclusion was marked by significant controversy. On July 14, opposition parties — Ecolo, DéFI, and PTB — walked out of the final session, denouncing what they called an “improvised, locked-down, and deeply disrespectful” process, as La Libre reported. The opposition received the draft report and recommendations only about one hour before the final session.
Two rapporteurs — Kalvin Soiresse Njall (Ecolo) and Gilles Verstraeten (N-VA) — resigned before the final report was adopted. The majority parties (MR, PS, Les Engagés, Groen, Anders, Vooruit, CD&V) defended the process, noting that 49 witnesses had been heard and their testimonies were included in the report.
The 26 Recommendations
The recommendations, which apply to all Brussels social housing companies (SISPs), aim to increase transparency, reduce politicization, and enhance professionalism in housing allocation. Key measures include:
- Prohibiting individual intervention: A formal ban on any board member intervening in individual allocation files, whether to recommend a candidate, seek priority, or influence decisions, accompanied by an obligation to report any attempted influence.
- Restricting database access: Prohibiting all political officials, cabinet collaborators, and board members from accessing the Regional Database of candidate-tenants.
- Separating strategic and operational roles: Presidents and boards of directors would be limited to strategic orientations, while allocation management and personnel decisions would remain with professional management.
- Strengthening oversight: Enhanced traceability, digitization of applications, stronger whistleblower protections, and reinforced audits.
- Graduated intervention mechanism: A system ranging from formal recommendations to reinforced inspection, mandatory accompaniment, or appointment of a government commissioner in serious cases.
Political Fallout and Next Steps
The vote has deepened the rift between the Brussels government majority and the opposition. Zakia Khattabi, Ecolo’s group leader, abstained to signal that her group had voted against, arguing that this was not a proper vote on an inquiry commission report. Petya Obolensky (PTB) described the process as “total amateurism” or “sabotage,” according to Brussels Today.
On July 16, the Brussels government appointed a special commissioner to take control of the Foyer Anderlechtois — a first concrete step toward implementation. The parallel judicial investigation by the Brussels public prosecutor’s office remains ongoing and could lead to criminal charges.
What to Watch For
The transition from parliamentary validation to actual legislative and regulatory change requires further political will and technical work. Key questions remain: Will the 26 recommendations be fully implemented across all Brussels social housing companies? What will be the outcome of the parallel judicial investigation? And can the political trust between the majority and opposition be repaired after such an acrimonious process?
For now, the validation marks a significant milestone — but the real test lies in whether these reforms translate into lasting change for the thousands of Brussels residents waiting for social housing.