Homeless Amstelveen starters live in a shack, but still fight to stay

In a room on the third floor of the building, residents painted a banner with colored letters late yesterday afternoon: ‘Don’t make us homeless’, it says. A number of lamps in the room no longer work. A passing resident stops to watch: “Good job,” she calls to her flatmates. Her ceiling is full of mold.

That is one of the many problems that residents of the Olmenhof encounter. In addition, every hallway is full of abandoned furniture, the stairwell is full of glass and so on. Manager ‘Plaza Resident Services’, the former controversial vacancy landlord Camelot, hardly responds when residents call with requests or complaints.

So you would think that they would prefer to run away screaming, but the residents of the Olmenhof took action yesterday to be allowed to continue living in the building. They have temporary rental contracts in accordance with the Vacancy Act and these expire in April next year. The starters who live in the Olmenhof, who are stuck in the housing market, always knew that the vacancy law allows temporary rental of an empty building for a maximum of ten years. That term expires in 2024, so they have to leave.

“We always knew we had to get out, but when I came to live here ten years ago I did not expect that the housing crisis would get so out of hand and that I would not be able to find an affordable home within that time,” says the 36 year old Laetitia Roling to NH. “But we were also under the impression that we would have to leave because the building would actually be demolished or renovated,” adds 25-year-old Josefien de Bie.

No plan yet

But the wrecking ball is not exactly ready yet. Owner Woonzorg Nederland wants to turn the Olmenhof into an elderly complex again. A plan for this is still in its infancy. The municipality of Amstelveen is now investigating whether it can house Ukrainian refugees in the building during the period that the building is vacant, but the current residents do not understand why they are not allowed to stay.

“This building will remain empty while we look for a home. It feels as if they are blind to the situation,” says 27-year-old Philip de Vogel. He has lived in Amstelveen all his life and would love to continue living in the municipality so that he can provide informal care to his parents. Of course from your own home. “Because I ran away screaming,” he laughs.

Fixed rental contract

“Residential care can simply give these young people a permanent rental contract,” explains SP MP Sandra Beckerman.

In the longer term, the party hopes that the vacancy law will be scrapped. “Because it still makes it possible to evict people from their homes after a temporary contract and we believe that the right to a permanent rental contract should be the starting point. That you cannot make people homeless.”

But since the Netherlands goes to the polls today and then has to wait for the cabinet formation, Beckerman realizes that her appeal for the Olmenhof residents comes too late.

That is why yesterday she knelt on her knees to paint banners from residents calling on Woonzorg Nederland to offer permanent rental contracts so that residents can stay longer. “For us, the most important thing is that we just don’t end up on the street,” says Laetitia.

Because that is the reality for many tenants. “I might be able to go back to my father, but he will be selling his house soon. Then I think I can move into the attic of a friend.” Josefien also hopes for help from a friend. “I think he still has a storage room.” Philip will really have to return to his parents.