Homeless shelters in Breda are often crowded and are slowly heading towards a capacity problem. This is due to poor flow due to the housing shortage on the one hand and a significant increase in the number of homeless people on the other. And especially of homeless young people. The Throughflow Facility (DSV) is sounding the alarm and wants extra, private accommodation for them quickly.
The number of young people knocking on the door of homeless shelters is increasing sharply nationally, including in Breda. “We have seen a strong increase, especially in the last year,” says Robin Vissers, Housing Manager at the Throughflow Facility. “We always had about three to five, but now we have an average of sixteen or seventeen young people. That is worrying.”
“We want to offer even more customization and quality with our own youth shelter.”
For example, because young people are extremely vulnerable. They present different problems than older homeless clients. “Young people with elderly people in one shelter is actually not an ideal combination,” Vissers explains. “For example, they are vulnerable to addiction. You don’t want that in an environment where (drugs) are used. If the majority of your fellow residents are your perspective in life, that is not very motivating for young people.”
Own childcare is therefore more than desirable in Breda. “You want to create a different environment for them,” Vissers continues. “Also because there are different laws and regulations for young people and they need a different type of guidance. They are in a different phase of life and have different interests. That also requires something from your staff. With our own youth shelter, we want even more customization and provide quality.”
“We are already looking at real estate with a slanted eye.”
Breda politicians have already been contacted. “Every time we sit around the table with the municipality, the alarm is sounded,” Vissers assures. “But we are listening and the conversations are good. We are working on drawing up a package of requirements and we are also looking at real estate with a keen eye.”
It is not yet clear what the capacity of the new, private youth shelter should be. “We know how many young people are in here, but not how many are still on the streets.”
Additional shelter for young people also contributes to the solution to the capacity problem that the DSV on the Breda Slingerweg is struggling with. When it opened in 2022, the intention was that thirty homeless people would be accommodated, with everyone having their own room. The two of them have been sleeping in a bunk bed for quite some time now and there are sometimes more than sixty homeless people living in the shelter.
“This is still manageable,” says Robin Vissers. “And we are not stuck yet. But if there is no solution, it will happen.”
“The need for a home is extra high if you are homeless.”
The biggest problem is the housing shortage in the Netherlands. “The need is really great,” says Judith Kuypers, director of SMO Breda, which includes the DSV. “That of course currently applies to many people who are looking for a house, but we think it is extra high if you are homeless.”