At the beginning of May, Nadine Scheepers from Emmen finds herself on the street with her boyfriend, three small children and two cats. To date, the family has not been able to find new accommodation due to the housing shortage and for that time they stay with her parents in Sleen.
As a result, four adults, three small children, three dogs and two cats all live together in the 64-square-metre senior home. At first her mother also had a business at home, but that is no longer possible since then.
“We had hoped that by now we would have a house for our family,” says Nadine. “But due to the housing shortage, we have not made any progress, while we really respond to everything. Whatever we knock, we are not entitled to anything and no one can help us further. All authorities think it is sad for us, but can do nothing for us .”
Corona
Nadine had met her great love in Germany and her first two children were born there. Only grandfather Cor Scheepers was afraid that his daughter would be left at home alone with three small children. His son-in-law has to stay away from home for longer periods for his work. That is why the family moves from Germany to Drenthe not much later.
Everything was well arranged at the time, grandfather and grandmother move to a senior home in Sleen and the family continues to live in the rented house of grandfather and grandmother in Emmen. Until the beginning of this year, the owner of the rented house decides to come back from China with his family, because living in China in times of corona turns out to be no fun.
“The owner has adhered to the rules, but due to the housing shortage we could not find a new home within a few months and so we ended up on the street,” says Nadine with tears in her eyes.
Her father offers to let the family live with them in Sleen. “But now tensions are rising in the house. Due to a lack of space, Nadine’s relationship threatens to come to an end and our health is deteriorating due to the stress, Nadine only weighs 47 kilos and let’s not talk about the enormously increased energy prices,” said Mr. Cor.
Municipality of Emmen does not help
Several e-mails and letters are sent to the municipality of Emmen and the responsible alderman Jisse Otten who deals with housing and construction. But to date, the Scheepers family has not received any response. Grandpa Cor is angry: “They could at least send back an e-mail or letter with: ‘Sorry, unfortunately we can’t do anything for you’, but we don’t even get that.”
The municipality of Emmen says through a spokesperson that it is aware of the situation of the family, but does not want to respond to the matter because of the privacy law.
“Well, they have never wanted to talk to us, so they are hiding behind that privacy law,” says Cor. “Status holders do get houses and we don’t, but when I say that I discriminate, but I don’t mean it that way.”
When Cor expresses his dissatisfaction with the entire situation via Facebook, it appears from the many reactions that his family is not the only one affected by this. “That is why we now want to tell our story. Let it be an example of what is going wrong in the Netherlands at the moment. A normal family, with children, without debts, with jobs, can just end up on the street, there is no one agency that does something for them.”
Urgency Committee
Thuis Kompas, the website where the eight housing associations in Drenthe offer rental homes, says that the family must register with the urgency committee and that that may offer ‘solace’. In that case, the family could be given priority over a rented house. But Thuis Kompas also says that they are confronted with these kinds of stories several times a day and that the urgency committee is strict.
“Look at our website, there are hundreds of responses to all homes, then you can see at a glance what the housing shortage means,” says the operator of Thuis Kompas. “I think it’s really bad, but I can’t do more than refer to the urgency committee.”
No abuse, no home
If Nadine follows the urgency guide, she is not entitled to priority over a rental property. “There is an agency that has suggested that I fill in the emergency indicator that my boyfriend is abusing me, then I would get a house,” says Nadine. “I thought it was a joke, but they really meant it.”
Her boyfriend would be detained, but at least the family would have a home. Nadine: “Of course I didn’t, but I still live with my parents.”
‘Please adopt us’
The Scheepers family therefore makes an appeal through this route; “If someone can’t sell their house and it’s too big, adopt us. We’re both super handy, I can cook and clean every day, I can paint too. My husband is super good at DIY and garden maintenance. real estate agent or anyone else with a home can also call us. Please help us.”