FCarla DeJonghe has spent the past decade working to highlight the disadvantages single people often face, including increased household spending and the assumption that they can work nights and weekends.
But in recent weeks, Belgian city councilors have taken matters into their own hands, creating the country’s, and possibly Europe’s, first municipal government to force policymakers to consider the impact of their actions on people living alone. changed.
“This is a milestone,” said Dejonghe, who lives in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, a suburb of Brussels. “For the first time, local governments are committed to looking at policy through a single lens.”
The hope is that De Jonghe, who counts himself among 36% of single-adult households in Belgium, will correct what he describes as long-standing blind spots when it comes to policy-making. “Nobody ever thought about it,” she said. “And really, no one realizes that this group is that big.”
Across the EU, the number of households consisting of just one adult, with or without children, has soared by 30% in just over a decade. As of 2022, nearly 72 million people in the EU are living alone, making it the most common household type across the EU, according to Eurostat.
But this group has been consistently ignored by politicians, DeJonghe said. Perhaps because of the tremendous diversity this group encompasses. “When you think of living alone, everyone thinks of Sex and the City. But that’s not the case,” she adds, citing divorcees, widows, clergy and migrant workers of all ages who make up this group. Ta.
In recent years, the spotlight has been on the term “single penalty,” coined to refer to the additional costs borne by people who have no one to share costs such as rent, utilities, Wi-Fi, and TV subscriptions.
In the UK, one financial services company recently said that these additional costs could amount to more than £10,000 a year, and could be made worse by certain tax breaks for married people and people in civil partnerships. suggested.
Late last month, the city council of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre unanimously voted to adopt a charter drafted by Dejonghe, which he says is a first for Belgium and Europe.
The text of the Charter emphasizes the objective of ensuring that single-income households are treated equally with other households, adding: “No longer think in terms of the traditional family as the norm, but try to take measures that are neutral to living conditions.”
This includes everything from encouraging new housing projects with communal spaces for more social interaction to adjusting municipal invitations to specify that guests can bring a ‘plus one’ rather than just a partner. It includes a wide range of measures.
The city also aims to make the activities it sponsors more accessible. “If you’re hosting something like a tango lesson, you have to do it with two people,” DeJonghe said, adding that the classes must also be affordable for people living on one income.
The Charter also commits to championing single-friendly practices in the local hospitality industry, such as communal tables and a wide selection of quality wine by the glass. Workplaces will also be encouraged to reconsider the common practice of relying on people who live alone whenever overtime is required.
“These are just simple things,” DeJonghe said. “It doesn’t cost much, but it’s very logical.”
He said the response to the charter so far has been overwhelmingly positive, and several of his counterparts in other municipalities have expressed interest in adopting similar measures.
De Jonghe, who is also a member of the Belgian parliament, said he had not yet received any negative reactions and used his personal statement to stress that the charter was in no way intended to downplay the importance of the traditional family. He said it was thanks to the consideration taken by the company.
“It’s about equality,” she said. “Everyone needs to be aware of her two things. If it’s good for people who live alone, it’s good for everyone. And secondly, whether you want it or not, some things in life At that point, you’re going to be alone.”
She explained that this Charter is the first step towards addressing this reality. “Our society has evolved, but our policies have not kept up,” she said. “It’s a small step, but you have to start somewhere.”