LEUVEN - In the project "Does the Appeltans process bring an end to more than 20 years of slum landlords?" Arne Sonck investigated the power of slum landlords in Leuven. He brings to light how the Leuven landlord Appeltans was able to build a real estate empire by coloring outside the lines, and why the Leuven administration was able to watch this alone for a long time.
Arne shows how legal thresholds and administrative uncertainty give slum landlords backing, how local government fails vulnerable tenants, and how Flemish policy encourages slumlordism. Through research in the streets of Leuven, legal files, and numerous conversations with experts and policymakers, Arne paints an in-depth and comprehensive picture of the problem of slumlordism, and why it is taken for granted within the current economic and policy context.
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- Huisjesmelkers Appeltans konden twintig jaar ongestoord hun gang gaan, Apache, 16/10/2023.
- Luxekoten verdringen krotwoningen van huisjesmelkers, Apache, 16/10/2023.