An ancestor of social housing, the Maisons-Dieu are typical hospices in Bruges which allowed local people in need, particularly widows and the elderly, to keep a roof over their heads and their dignity while their financial and personal situation no longer allowed them to secure housing. There are 46 Maisons-Dieu in Bruges and only 3 are no longer inhabited. They all belong to the city and have done so since the French Revolution. These social housing complexes are now protected as monuments and are still inhabited by around 250 elderly people.
Date: Oct 1
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