More than 130 people have applied to a pilot housing support scheme for ex-prisoners in Luxembourg in the two years since it was set up.

The programme runs until the end of 2025 and guarantees temporary accommodation for convicts who do not have family support or sufficient financial means, while they look for a long-term solution.

Since the scheme launched in 2023, a total of 136 applications have been submitted, the finance ministry said, of which three were rejected for not meeting the required criteria.

Just under a third of beneficiaries, 43 people, stopped
reporting to an association set up to help those in financial deprivation, the Comité Nationale de Défense Sociale, after some time, the ministry said.

Another 12 people managed to find housing without support from the programme, while nine were rehoused in assisted or supervised accommodation structures.

“In addition, five people are currently in therapy, two have been referred to a night shelter and three have decided to live with their families. Unfortunately, one person died during the period under review,” the justice ministry said in a statement.

The housing scheme offers three studios, four shared flats and two rooms. The accommodation is managed by organisations specialising in support for homeless people, addiction treatment and care for the elderly.

At the end of the trial period later this year, the government said it will evaluate the results and study ways to strengthen policies to reintegrate prisoners back into society.

Integration plan

At the beginning of their detention, each convict receives a voluntary insertion plan drawn up in conjunction with the prison services. This plan defines a set of measures to facilitate reintegration including vocational training, educational programmes, psychological support and reparations for victims.

Prisoners can also obtain certificates for skills acquired in prison, increasing their employment opportunities.

The integration plan is flexible and regularly reviewed according to the prisoner’s progress. The Défi-Job organisation supports inmates in finding work, helping to prepare CVs and contact potential employers.

(This article was originally published by Contacto. Translation, editing and adaptation by Audrey McGaw)