What is the
CALICO Project?

CLTs (Community Land Trusts) are organisations that acquire land to manage it as a common good, together and in the interest of the community. The system has existed since the 1970s in the United States. CLTs can take many different forms, but some basic principles remain unchanged: ownership of land is separated from ownership of buildings, allowing low-income households to buy housing at a price lower than the market price, and the price of housing remains affordable for future generations, thanks to a ceiling price on resale.

The CLT of Brussels (CLTB) exists since 2012. As the first CLT in continental Europe and co-coordinator of CALICO with the Brussels-Capital Region, it has been internationally recognised as a pioneer in the field and has twice been financed by the European Union for innovative projects. By using housing as a means of integrating populations in difficulty, the CLTB includes its candidate-owners at every stage of housing production, with a view to empowerment and social cohesion.

The concept of “end-of-life” (mourance) developed by the psychologist and psychotherapist Lydia Müller seeks to inscribe death and mourning in the process of life, as part of a cycle and not an end. The integration within CALICO of birth and end-of-life facilitieswill provide adequate spaces for people who wish to give birth or die in an empathic and familiar environment. Integrated within the home, they will be coordinated by the Pass-ages partner. The aim of this association is to create a caring living space in Brussels, open to its environment, designed to welcome anyone who wishes to experience these “passages of life” naturally, in harmony and in connection, accompanied by professionals and volunteers.

In terms of precariousness, gender is an aggravating factor and this mechanically impacts on women’s access to housing. In Belgium the gender pay gap is 21% while the pension gap is 26%. Moreover 80% of parents raising children alone are women. This increased poverty is compounded by various gender-based factors of discrimination in access to housing, which partly explains the fact that the number of women experiencing homelessness almost tripled between 2002 and 2011 (Lelubre, 2012). Angela.D is CALICO’s partner association responsible for putting gender issues at the centre of shared housing through awareness-raising and training on gender equality issues.

At 1.2 million inhabitants, Brussels is a world-oriented metropolis, thanks to its status as capital city of Europe, its cultural diversity and its central spot at the center of North-West Europe.

As is the case in many other big European cities, Brussels is experiencing difficulties in housing access. Those difficulties mostly affect vulnerable social classes such as women, elderly people, low-income families and migrants. Often, they have to spend over 60% of their income on housing.

One specificity of Brussels is that it has a young population with one of the highest demographic growths in Europe of the last 20 years. However, Brussels is also just as concerned with problems related to an ageing population as the rest of Europe. New, specific needs appear, notably in terms of care. Innovative approaches are needed to strengthen peoples’ autonomy within their living spaces and develop intergenerational solidarity.

 It is in order to answer in an integrated manner to these challenges that Brussels’ public powers, associations and universities have joined forces to take part in project CALICO (Care and Living in Community).