All residents of Joan Muyskenweg in East Amsterdam cannot return to their homes for at least three months. This is what operational director Astrid Schlüter of owner Vesteda informed AT5/NH News. Apartments on the top floors will remain uninhabitable even longer.
The news was shared with residents earlier in the evening during an information meeting. “People are emotional,” says Schlüter. “This is of course intense, they have been through a lot. But I think they really appreciate clarity in this phase. We try to keep them informed every day as much as possible about what we know, but also about what we don’t know .”
The fire broke out on Saturday evening on one of the top floors of the complex. Dozens of homes suffered significant fire, smoke and water damage as a result. Earlier in the day it became clear that apartments on the top floor will be uninhabitable for at least several years.
Vesteda is currently looking for temporary accommodation for the residents. “We look at each inhabitant’s situation and what the housing needs are,” says Schlüter. “They can be quite different from each other, because one has school-age children and the other lives alone and works from home.”
In a city like Amsterdam, this will be quite a challenge, the director acknowledges, noting that Vesteda can count on help with this. “Of course we are looking at what we can do with our own portfolio, but we have also been offered a lot of help from other investors and landlords in Amsterdam. Everyone feels an obligation to help these people.”