A majority of the House of Representatives has Tuesday agreed with an amendment to the Municipal Act that gives mayors more powers to close homes or to act against criminals who make neighborhoods unsafe. If the Senate agrees to the amendment to the law, a home can be closed if there is a threat or fear of serious violence around a home.
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For the time being, mayors can only close a building if public order is disrupted or if there is serious residential nuisance. In Rotterdam and Amsterdam, among others, many reports have recently been made of explosions and explosives in residential areas. There has been a particularly large increase in Rotterdam. According to ANP news agency, the city council of Rotterdam is satisfied with the broader powers for mayors.
The VVD was in favor of the amendment, but the parties D66, PvdA and SP also warned of the downside of closing homes. According to D66 MP Joost Sneller, it is “drastic, sometimes with harrowing consequences”. “Innocent housemates who have nothing to do with crime or illegal acts can end up on the street.” A motion by MPs Songül Mutluer (PvdA) and Corinne Ellemeet (GroenLinks) to take vulnerable residents, such as minors or people with health problems, into account when closing homes, was also adopted on Tuesday.