These are not young people who just need a house, emphasizes supervisor of the Bedrijf & Samenleving Haarlem foundation Desiree Terwee. The residents often have a complicated background or an unsafe home situation. “There is often out-of-home placement, some of them sleep from couch to couch and others come from Platform 18 (transition home for homeless young people, ed.).”
The youth center is located in a formerly vacant building on the Noord Schalkwijkerweg. The municipality of Haarlem made the building available, after which it was completely renovated and made more sustainable. The young people are allowed to live there indefinitely.
Own responsibility
And that is a huge opportunity for many of them, but also quite exciting, says Terwee. “The boys are going to live independently for the first time, without being part of the care system.” The young people now have to pay their own rent and there is no daily supervision.
But Terwee is certain that they can. “Things are going very well with the other six youth homes,” she says proudly. “There are clear agreements, there is no nuisance and the cleaning is good. The young people are very happy that they have their own place.”
Young people linked to volunteers
The youth center emerged from the Mentor Project of the Bedrijf & Samenleving foundation. Within this project, vulnerable young people are linked to a volunteer from the business community who supports them in taking steps towards independence.
In recent years, the Mentor Project has expanded from just a mentor to suitable housing for the young people they support. This project offers young people a preventive opportunity to develop within a safe home situation.