Yasin’s family has got their own house in Bakkum. Previously, they lived in a temporary home on the Alkmaarse Picassolaan, but that building will be closed in a month. The new house arrives just in time for father Yasin, mother Seval and their three children.
Finally a home of my own: “It feels warm, but I have concerns about other status holders.” -NH
The family is busy packing at the old address on Picassolaan in Alkmaar. “We are very happy. This is especially important for the children. The past seven years have been very difficult for our family, but now it is good.”
The building on Picassolaan, where the family lived until recently, will be closed and demolished in a month. It was an exciting time for the family, and a move was even threatened a container home. “It is of course very nice that we have received a house. But it is with mixed feelings,” says mother Seval.
Stragglers
Because they are luckier than others who still live on Picassoloaan. New temporary shelters are now being created in Castricum, but most people do not trust them. They want clarity. The years of waiting make them insecure and unhappy.
“Everything is gone. My purpose, my life. Everything is gone,” says Mohammed, who fled from Syria to the Netherlands. “I had a nice apartment there with four rooms. I don’t need it back. A house with a living room and a bedroom would be nice. I want to be able to make plans for the future, maybe get married, but that is not possible right now.”
The residents of Picassolaan are also concerned about the temporary housing they have to move to. “Life here at Picassolaan was not that bad. But now we have to move to a temporary home again. It is an old tractor garage or an old school, but they are in a bad condition. The situation does not look good for us.” , says a family from Turkey.
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Those left behind are not happy with the municipality of Castricum as the handler of their file. “They don’t tell the truth and don’t answer our questions,” says another man from Syria, “And we never see them. We understand that we cannot be helped immediately, but a target time would be nice.”
In any case, those worries are over for Yasin and Seval’s family. They are happy in their new home in Bakkum. “We have done everything in the past fifteen days: painting, removing wallpaper, laying laminate,” says Yasin. “Now I can look for work and concentrate on beautiful things, good things,” adds his wife Seval.
Where does the rest go?
The municipality of Castricum must arrange new housing for about 100 status holders of the Alkmaarse Picassolaan. They were given temporary shelter there, but everyone has to leave as of April 1. The apartments are first offered as an anti-squat property before demolition. Ultimately, the entire complex will be demolished for housing.
Six families who are currently staying at Picassolaan and would move to Castricum from April 1 will remain in Alkmaar. For example, Alkmaar helps the municipality of Castricum, which does not yet have any homes for them. It has been agreed that the municipality will take over the same number of status holders from Alkmaar at a later stage.
The former Montessori school at Koekoeksbloem in Castricum is being prepared for temporary shelter. This concerns 21 rooms, which will first be offered to the current anti-squat residents of Picassolaan. What remains is given to status holders.
Twelve rooms are being prepared for status holders at Horizon in Bakkum. This still requires some adjustments.
The municipality wants to house a maximum of twenty status holders in the former John Deere showroom in Bakkum. The exact possible number is still being investigated.
96 flexible homes are being built at Berg en Dal sports park, which will probably be ready in the autumn of 2024. A third of the homes are intended for status holders.
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