Why join our platform?
PATHS connects you with organisations that can support you in your housing search:
Receive information on the different steps of the housing process.
Receive guidance from housing support organisations to help you find suitable housing options.
Receive communication support with landlords when needed.
Feel more confident navigating the housing market with clear and accessible information:
Access tools and resources that explain your rights and responsibilities as a tenant.
Find practical information to help you better understand housing procedures and requirements.
Find letter templates that help you to communicate with your landlord.
PATHS connects you with organisations that can support you in your housing search:
All services offered by IOM and its partners are always free of charge.
Share your feedback and tell us about your experience.
Help us improve our services and support more people in accessing housing.
How it works
Contact a housing support organisation through the social map below. The organisation will assess your situation, help you register on the platform if needed, and support you in your search for housing.
-
1
Find information and support
Explore the platform, the social map and the resource section to learn about housing and the support available to you.
-
2
Find an organisation near you
Use the map below to find a housing support organisation in your area.
-
3
Contact an NGO and get started
Get in touch with an NGO that can support you. If you are eligible and depending on available listings, the NGO can support you to create a profile on the platform and guide you in your housing search.
-
4
Apply for housing with the NGO
The NGO will apply for suitable housing options for you on the matching portal.
-
5
Visit properties with the organisation
If a landlord accepts your application, the NGO will help arrange a property visit and, where possible, may accompany you during the visit.
-
6
Landlord selects a tenant
The landlord will decide whether you are selected to rent the property. If you are selected, the NGO will help you to set up the rental agreement.
-
7
Move into your new home
Get settled with the help of the NGO. A feedback moment at a later stage will be organised to assess your matching experience.
Social map of housing actors
Use the map below to find organisations that can help you with housing. You can filter the results by the type of support you need and contact organisations directly.
Looking for support beyond housing? You can also explore the RISE service map, which lists organisations providing integration and support services for refugees.
Not all of these services are able to provide immediate or short-term housing solutions!
Access to public social housing and private social housing schemes such as social rental agencies (SVK/AIS) often involves waiting periods that can extend over several years, depending on the region in Belgium.
Still, early registration remains highly recommended. It is a necessary step to secure more affordable housing options in the medium- to long-term. Moreover, being registered in the social housing system can grant access to additional forms of financial support, such as rental subsidies.
Therefore, even in situations of urgent need, being informed about these mechanisms and registration is a crucial investment in their longer-term housing stability.
Social map categories
Specialised housing support services
Provide housing related support, guidance, and mediation.
Examples include:
- AiPL (Brussels)
- APL (Wallonia)
- Orbit network members (Flanders)
General social support services
May provide housing related support within the framework of broader social or integration-related support services.
This may include integration actors.
Examples include:
- CAWs (Brussels, Flanders)
- BAPA (Brussels)
- Agentschap Integratie, AMAL, ATLAS (Flanders)
- CRIs (Wallonia)
Social housing
- Includes public and subsidised private 'social' housing through AIS/SVKs that act as intermediaries.
- Provides affordable rental housing, conditioned to low income and vulnerabilities, however with very long waiting lists.
Housing information services
Offer rental information on the most common needs of tenants, including information specific to the needs of newcomers.
Diaspora organisations
- May offer housing support services.
- Provide information, translation, and mediation to facilitate access to housing.
- Community based assistance.
- Referral to other organisations.
Financial support mechanisms
- Financial support provided through rental deposits and rental subsidies.
- May be subject to registration in social housing systems.
Resources for refugees
No resources match the selected filters.
Le guide du logement du Brabant wallon
Le guide du logement de Liège
Testimonies from refugees
"When we were given a place to live, I could see the joy on my children's faces."
Keita (tenant)
"If you have a home, you have everything."
Massoud (tenant)
"There's nothing more reassuring than having a home and knowing you have a place to sleep."
Dieudonné (tenant)
