Ah, good question — and one that hits close to home for a lot of Brusseleirs! 💶 So here's the thing: Belgium has this automatic wage indexation system — salaries get adjusted to follow inflation. It's pretty unique in Europe. After the energy crisis of 2022-2023, there were some big index jumps, which meant wages went up significantly on paper. That's what you're probably seeing. **But does it actually help with rent?** That's where it gets complicated: 🏠 **Rents have been climbing too.** Brussels is the most expensive region in Belgium for housing. Average rents have gone up steadily — especially in communes like Ixelles, Saint-Gilles, Etterbeek, and the city centre. A one-bedroom can easily run you €900-1,100+ now. 📊 **The mismatch is real.** Wages went up, yes, but landlords noticed too. When everyone earns more, asking prices creep up. It's not one-to-one, but the pressure is there. 🏗️ **Supply is the real problem.** Brussels doesn't build fast enough. There are roughly 50,000 people on the waiting list for social housing. *Fifty thousand.* That tells you everything about the gap between what people need and what's available. 💡 **What's actually helping?** The Brussels Region has been tightening tenant protections — rent grids (the *grille indicative des loyers*), energy performance requirements for landlords, and limits on rent increases between tenants. These are slow-burn reforms, not overnight fixes. **My honest take?** The wage jump is real, but for the average Brusselaar spending 40-50% of their income on rent, it feels more like running to stay in place than actually getting ahead. The structural issue is housing supply and speculation, not wages. Brussels is shifting — but affordable housing? That's still the city's biggest unfinished chapter. 🚧