Homeless people in Brussels will be given portable cardboard tents as part of a new charitable project being pioneered in the Belgian capital.

The ORIG-AMI project will allow rough sleepers to transport the tents with them on their backs as they find a place to sleep for the night.

The idea was sparked by a job rehabilitation centre as a way of working round the existing ban on material tents in the city, according to BX1.

The materials were donated by a local supplier and the tents were assembled by a work initiative at Lantin prison.

Organisers said they hoped it would give the city's homeless somewhere safe to sleep.

"We live in one of the most comfortable countries in the world. I find it difficult to accept that human beings are spending the night on the streets, on the pavements, outside our windows," Xavier Van der Stappen, who financed and distributed the first series of ORIG-AMI prototypes, told SudInfo.

"In Brussels, the capital of Europe, 2,600 people sleep rough. The number is increasing year after year. Such things happen in life, any one of us could find ourselves on the streets, and the homeless in our positions."

Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Show all 8 1 /8 Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Janela, 27, is 27 weeks pregnant and lives in temporary accommodation with her six year old son. She works 12-hour night shifts in a packing warehouse in Birmingham. Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Suleman works in IT and has been living in emergency accommodation since June 2014 with his wife and two children. His youngest, only 2, was born while they were living in the hotel. Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Sarah*, 40, was living in one room in a B&B with her husband and children, including her three-month old baby: “We sleep on the bed, they play on the bed, we eat on the bed. There’s just no place for anything.” For her daughter Shauna*, 13, the shame she felt at being homeless impacted on her friendships at school: “I don’t tell them because in the end you can’t trust a friend…they could spread rumours about you. I can’t explain anything to anyone. I go to school with a smile on my face.” * Names have been changed to protect the individual’s identity Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Maria* and her two daughters (15 and 5) lived in a B&B for more than 9 months, before being moved out of area in October. Her oldest daughter is a wheelchair user and had no access to a bath as the bathroom was on a different floor. Maria had to bathe her in a tub in the bedroom. * Names have been changed to protect the individual’s identity Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Nicola and her three children have spent the last 9 months in temporary accommodation. She said: “We're so squashed in this cold, damp place. I say place because neither myself nor the children call this 'home'. It's full of mould and the kids are constantly ill from the damp. I'm trying to do the best that I can with what I have. I'm training to be a teacher, attending counselling sessions and trying to be the best mum I can to my babies but living like this is getting too much.” Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Nathan, 28, has been homeless for three months, and until recently was living in a Travelodge on the side of a motorway with his 16-month old son, where he only had access to a kettle: “There’s milk and stuff, but there’s no microwave. It’s pretty hard to make food. I’ve got to get the jars and stick it in the kettle, and then put the kettle on to warm it up, so that’s the best way to feed him.” Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas For Geraldine, 45, and her 13-year-old daughter Hannah*, living in an emergency B&B has taken a huge toll on their mental and emotional wellbeing: “My daughter has felt very suicidal. I took her to the GP. They’ve referred her to the psychologist. She’s constantly breaking down crying. I had to take her to A&E on two occasions because she’s having problems, she keeps getting palpitations. She shakes.” * Names have been changed to protect the individual’s identity Shelter Shelter - Homeless this Christmas Homeless this Christmas Mariam, her two teenage sons and 4 year old daughter Zara were living in a B&B for nearly three months, before being moved to temporary accommodation in November. Both places have been extremely cold and Mariam is concerned for Zara’s health, as she suffers from asthma and anaemia. Shelter

Around 20 tents were distributed at the Gare du Nord on Friday, in conjunction with "L'Appel du Coeur", another charity that distributed rucksacks packed with essentials.