Residents of a flat on Jan van Zutphenstraat in Haarlem have had to take the stairs to their home for five weeks because the elevators are defective. And that is particularly difficult for Martin Ottevanger, who lives on the sixth floor. “I had heart surgery six years ago and I don’t know if that’s it. But I notice that when I come up, I’m completely broken.”
Thieves have stolen the cables of the two elevators in the flat, making the elevators unusable. And that was already five weeks ago. Martin Ottevanger does think twice before leaving his home. Going down for a full garbage bag is not an option. “If I don’t have to go downstairs for work or something else, the garbage bags are here in the living room waiting until the next day. You start thinking about everything, when you go shopping, et cetera.”
Ottevanger often takes a break on the third floor, because it is impossible for him to walk upstairs in one go. My neighbors are renovating, they have to lift all the building materials. I don’t know how they’re going to do with the new kitchen.”
He is also concerned about neighbors who are really infirm. “I sometimes see people really stumbling up, I think a lot of people have been inside here for weeks.”
A neighbor of Ottevanger, who has difficulty walking and has a cane, is also affected by the broken elevators. “Yes it is annoying. It takes me 20 minutes to get up.”
emergency lift
Housing corporation Ymere says it finds the situation annoying for the residents and has immediately installed a stairlift. Ottevanger has sat on it for a while, but does not use it further. “I think I’ll be busy for half an hour if I have to go up with that thing.”
Ymere has also called in help to help residents lift the groceries. But not everyone uses it, says the man hired to help the residents. “People like to do everything themselves. Even if they find it very difficult, they are inclined to do it themselves.”
The repair of the elevators is a long time coming, because the necessary parts are scarce. Ymere is doing everything possible to have the elevators repaired as soon as possible, but does not know how long that will take. Martin Ottevanger argues for a temporary construction lift on the outside of the flat as an interim solution. “Yes, that costs a lot of money, so that must be the reason we don’t have it. But that this is still possible in this time, I think it’s too sad for words.”