One and a half week ago Alkmaar caravan families occupy twelve chalets which are intended for Ukrainians. They want extra caravan spaces, something that the municipality has been promising them for about 35 years. The alderman for living says that he is ‘doing his utmost’, but some of them continue to demonstrate on a meadow. Below you can read why they are not satisfied with the words of the alderman.
In order to properly understand the situation of the caravan dwellers in Alkmaar, it is important to first zoom in on national policy. Many municipalities are ‘struggling’ with caravan groups.
Municipalities prefer to keep the caravan sites as small as possible because of ‘order problems’ and ‘minor or major crime’. “Or are they trying to make it disappear completely by not allowing new caravans,” media partner reported NOS earlier.
Municipalities were able to implement this ‘extinction and phasing out policy’ after the Woonwagenwet was abolished. If a caravan is no longer inhabited as a result of, for example, death or relocation, municipalities often opted not to have that caravan re-occupied.
Ninety people on Alkmaar waiting list
This policy was also pursued in Alkmaar. The municipality did promise that some of the caravan sites that were initially removed would later be made available at another location. This is to spread the residents more across the municipality.
Many of the occupiers of the chalets intended for Ukrainian refugees live against their will in a regular house after the abolition of the Caravan Act. Subsequent generations were no longer eligible for a caravan and ended up on a waiting list. This list in Alkmaar now has around ninety names.
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In 2018, the National Ombudsman concluded in a report that ‘municipalities have sufficient knowledge of the human rights framework for the cultural identity of caravan dwellers’. It also stated that “the emphasis is on standardization”: “Way dwellers should be treated equally with other citizens.”
In June of the same year, Interior Minister Kajsa Ollongren put an end to the extinction policy of municipalities. As a result, municipalities and housing associations are no longer allowed to remove parking spaces. Travelers must also have a chance of finding a pitch within ‘a reasonable period of time’.
Demonstration for extra places
In Alkmaar, caravan families then heard that the realization of new places would be discussed in January. They thought this was too late and therefore demonstrated in October 2018 at the former AZ training complex ‘t Lood for extra pitches.
“We are not satisfied with the announcement from the alderman that a discussion about our situation will take place ‘only’ in January,” caravan resident Tomas Vermanen told NH Nieuws at the time.
NH Nieuws spoke with activists at the time. Watch the video below (text continues):
Gypsy caravan protest Alkmaar successful – NH Nieuws/ Anne Klijnstra
Alderman Paul Verbruggen said that he had already started talking to the demonstrators two months earlier. “But it will take at least a year before there will be any additional pitches”, Verbruggen calculated for them.
These extra pitches would be realized at the so-called ‘triangle of the Vroonermeer’. In 2019 there was a plan for twelve to sixteen cars, but that has been slimmed down to eleven. These should be placed on the site where the emergency rooms of primary school De Lispeltuut are currently located, while waiting for a new school building at a different location.
Financial contribution
On 12 May last year, Paul Verbruggen, then alderman for housing, asked the government for a contribution for eleven caravan places. According to him, the municipality and housing corporation Woonwaard did not have sufficient financial resources for this.
The social rented caravans were more expensive than expected: in addition to the caravans themselves, the construction of the park also had to be paid, so that the total costs per caravan at the time would amount to around 235,000 euros.
The municipality and Woonwaard arrived by car, according to the NHD between 15,000 and 20,000 euros short. Verbruggen called it ‘logical’ that he knocked on the door of the government for money, since the order had been given from The Hague for extra places. After this, the municipality remained silent on the development of new places.
‘Action not intended to thwart reception’
That’s why the caravan residents protested again at the sports complex last week the lead. For a number of days they ‘occupied’ twelve chalets intended for the reception of Ukrainian refugees. Tomas Vermanen ‘understands’ that they have to find shelter somewhere and told NH Nieuws that their action was not intended to thwart that.
“I’ve been in it for one night now and I feel like when I once lived in a caravan”
Several caravan dwellers therefore offered to make their own house available to refugees, if they would receive a chalet in return. “I’ve been in it for one night now and I feel like when I once lived in a caravan”, Tomas sighed.
Media partner Alkmaar Central went to visit the ‘occupiers’. Watch the video below (text continues):
Chalets for refugees squatted – Alkmaar Central
The caravan families want the municipality to seriously look at housing and initially they did not want to leave the chalets until it was stated in black and white that new places (besides the planned 11 at the Vroonermeer) would be created. In the end they had to make do with a promise from Alderman for Housing Gijsbert van Itterson Scholten.
The alderman has been in recent weeks several times talked to the caravan families and promised to do his ‘extremely best’ for them. He has also agreed with them to have contact with them every eight weeks about the latest state of affairs.
Moved to pasture
Van Itterson Scholten also informed media partner Alkmaar Centraal that the plans of the new city council will be passed on financially in September. According to him, this means that ‘anything is possible’.
Some of the people who occupy the chalets are not satisfied with the promises of Van Itterson Scholten and is moved to a meadow owned by Jan Bruin. He has authorized the municipality to realize caravan spaces here with immediate effect. But then the municipality must (want to) adjust the zoning plan.
Media partner Alkmaar Central spoke to the people who are now in a meadow. Watch the video below:
Share of caravan dwellers now live in pasture – NH Nieuws/Alkmaar Central
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