Vanhengel Appointed President of Brussels Housing Company

The Brussels-Capital Region government has appointed veteran liberal politician Guy Vanhengel as the new president of the Société du Logement de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale (SLRB) — the Brussels Regional Housing Company — according to RTBF. The appointment was confirmed on Thursday during an extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting that approved 150 nominations, with Vanhengel’s being the most prominent.

Context and Background

Vanhengel, a 68-year-old former minister born in Evere, Brussels, brings decades of high-level government experience to the role. He is the only politician in Belgian history to have held ministerial positions across all three levels of government — Brussels regional, Flemish, and federal. His career includes serving as Brussels Minister of Finance and Budget across multiple terms (2000-2004, 2004-2009, and 2011-2019), as Flemish Minister of Sport and Brussels Institutional Affairs (2002-2003), and as Federal Vice-Premier and Minister of Budget from 2009 to 2011.

He represents the Anders party (formerly Open VLD, the Flemish Liberals and Democrats), having been a long-time member before the party’s rebranding. Vanhengel ended his parliamentary career in 2024, choosing not to run in the Brussels regional elections after serving as Vice-President of the Brussels Parliament. His expertise in budget and finance is widely recognized across Belgian political circles.

The SLRB itself is the Brussels-Capital Region’s primary public housing authority, overseeing 16 public housing companies (SISP — Sociétés Immobilières de Service Public) across the region. Its mission is to make rental housing accessible to people with low, moderate, and middle incomes, and it holds a unique “social delegate” function in Belgium to ensure regulatory compliance.

The Foyer anderlechtois Scandal

Vanhengel replaces Safouane Akremi (Vooruit), who resigned as SLRB president in February 2026 following revelations in a VRT Pano investigative report. The VRT NWS report exposed potential irregularities at the Foyer anderlechtois, a public housing company in Anderlecht, including questionable allocation of social housing units and potential conflicts of interest involving Socialist Party (PS) figures.

The SLRB had declared the Foyer anderlechtois’ derogation committee “illegal,” and the Brussels prosecutor’s office subsequently opened an investigation led by the Central Office for the Repression of Corruption (OCRC). A parliamentary inquiry commission was also established to investigate the matter.

Political Reaction

The appointment has drawn sharp criticism from the Flemish nationalist N-VA party. Flemish MP Karl Vanlouwe characterized the move on social media as “a gift from PS to Anders after the cover-up case of the Anderlechtse Haard,” adding that “with Anders, everything stays the same in Brussels,” as reported by 7sur7.

The criticism reflects the complex political dynamics of the Brussels government, a coalition involving MR (Francophone liberals), Anders (Flemish liberals), PS (Socialists), Vooruit (Flemish socialists), and others. The N-VA, which is not part of the governing coalition, has been a vocal critic of the government’s handling of the Foyer anderlechtois affair.

Analysis and Implications

Vanhengel’s appointment represents a shift from a Vooruit (Flemish socialist) figure to an Anders (Flemish liberal) figure at the helm of the SLRB, but both hail from the Flemish political spectrum. Critics question whether his long-standing political connections — he worked closely with PS figures like former Brussels Minister-President Charles Picqué — are appropriate given the scandal involves PS-linked irregularities.

However, Vanhengel’s extensive experience in Brussels budget and finance makes him a technically qualified choice for the role. His track record includes nearly 20 years as a minister, during which he was widely credited with bringing order to the Brussels budget. The appointment comes at a critical time, as the La DH notes that the position had been vacant since Akremi’s resignation five months ago.

The timing of the appointment — bundled among 150 nominations during a single extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting — may indicate an effort to avoid drawing excessive attention to this particular decision. Yet the political fallout suggests otherwise, with the N-VA’s criticism ensuring the appointment remains in the public spotlight.

What’s Next

The ongoing parliamentary inquiry and criminal investigation into the Foyer anderlechtois affair, led by the Central Office for the Repression of Corruption (OCRC), will continue to cast a shadow over the SLRB’s leadership. Vanhengel’s presidency will be closely scrutinized as a test of whether the housing authority can reform its governance practices and restore public confidence after months of damaging revelations.

Housing advocacy groups, including Réseau Habitat, which recently interpellated the Brussels government on subsidies, will be watching closely. The broader housing affordability crisis facing Brussels adds further urgency to the SLRB’s mission, making effective leadership at the agency all the more critical.

The appointment also raises questions about whether Vanhengel will pursue structural reforms to prevent a repeat of the irregularities that led to his predecessor’s resignation, and how the ongoing investigations will affect the SLRB’s operations in the months ahead. For now, the appointment of one of Belgium’s most experienced budget specialists signals that the Brussels government is prioritizing financial rigor at the housing authority — even as political controversy continues to swirl.