Ghent in East Flanders will once again have a Rainbow House from May 2026, returning to its familiar location on Kammerstraat. A new team will take over operations, focusing on welcoming visitors, providing accessible information, and organising vibrant activities. Rainbow House Ghent or Regenbooghuis Gent will also advise the city on LGBTQIA+ matters, with a large opening celebration planned after the summer.
Following the loss of Flemish funding for Casa Rosa at the end of 2024, Ghent’s LGBTQIA+ civil society began working on a new framework to meet the needs of the city’s LGBTQIA+ communities. This process resulted in an agreement between the city and the sector for the period 2026–2028. Rainbow House Ghent will receive annual funding of €120,000 to support its activities and will remain at its established location at Kammerstraat 22, with Casa Rosa vzw continuing as the building manager. A new team will oversee the programme under the provisional name Rainbow House Ghent.
“Safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community are an essential part of an inclusive city,” said Alderman for Equal Opportunities Bram Van Braeckevelt (Groen). “With this new agreement, the Rainbow House becomes the key catalyst for LGBTQIA+ initiatives in Ghent. The renewed operation will strengthen the community and its dialogue with the city. The new team is highly motivated, and I look forward to working together.”
Rainbow House Ghent is conceived as a unifying space, created by and for Ghent’s queer community. Still in development, it already brings together a group of committed and enthusiastic volunteers who are building a new organisation from the ground up. In essence, it aims to connect, strengthen and support LGBTQIA+ individuals and initiatives across the city, while offering a dedicated and safer space where the community can come together. At the same time, it will function as a first point of contact for information and guidance, including for those in need of a listening ear.
In practice, the Rainbow House seeks to act as a connecting force within Ghent’s LGBTQIA+ landscape, bringing together people and initiatives to reinforce the broader movement through events, meetings and shared programming. It will also serve as an accessible information hub, providing basic support to individuals, initiatives and allies, including through the work of its CARE team.
Alongside this, the organisation is committed to maintaining an open and welcoming physical space for gatherings, meetings and activities, where community members can actively contribute, whether by helping organise events, running the Salons or collectively shaping what a safer space should be.
In addition to its community role, Rainbow House Ghent will continue to advise the city on LGBTQIA+ issues and work to improve the visibility and safety of LGBTQIA+ people in Ghent. The important reception function for those seeking support will remain a core part of its mission.
“We are incredibly proud, as a newly formed board, to be writing this new chapter,” said Sofie Veramme of Rainbow House Ghent. “In the current social and geopolitical climate, a home base like the Rainbow House is absolutely essential for LGBTQIA+ people. With all the input and support we have already received, and the strong motivation to move forward together, we want to create a place where initiatives can come together and grow stronger collectively.”
