Drug nuisance, illegal prostitution and even stabbings. Tenants of two buildings in Oudenbosch caused nuisance for years, while the municipality could hardly act against it. Mayor Bernd Roks of the municipality of Halderberge therefore took a different tack: He bought the houses on behalf of the municipality to put an end to the problems.
According to Roks, purchase by the municipality was the only ‘creative way out’. “We are dealing with a limited police capacity. At the same time, we want to invest as much as possible in quality of life. Then as mayor you have to take a step forward and out of the box have to think.”
Existing regulations therefore fall short in the eyes of the mayor. “As a citizen you can expect us to show our teeth because we no longer put up with it. Even if you are stuck in administrative law and you can’t get any further with criminal law, you as a government will have to do something at some point.”
“We don’t want seven or eight people in a house here.”
The rooms in the small 1930s houses on Brouwerijstraat were rented out to people who needed temporary accommodation. Among them are also a number of drug addicts. Roks: “Seven or eight people in a house for three hundred or four hundred euros per person a month. We don’t want those kinds of revenue models here.”
The previous owner was initially not eager to sell the buildings to the municipality. Only after a number of ‘firm conversations’ in which it was made clear to him that the municipality would otherwise make things difficult for him, did he tack. The residents have moved to other houses of the former owner in the area.
“It’s certainly not taboo for me.”
The municipality suffers a loss of half a ton on the purchase and sale of the houses. “This is real change when you see what these buildings have cost the community in terms of enforcement. When I add it all up, I don’t want to know what I end up with. I think this is three or four times that half a ton of loss and then there is also the reputational damage for the municipality,” said Mayor Roks.
It is not often that a municipality acts as a broker to prevent nuisance. Especially when it comes to houses. Yet mayor Roks does not rule out that he will do this more often. “If I have no other means to intervene, it is certainly not taboo for me.”
“If necessary, I can help with odd jobs myself.”
The municipality of Halderberge has now tightened up the rules to prevent slumlords from continuing to buy up properties. Someone who now buys a home in the municipality can only rent it out to a maximum of two people.
The purchased houses are resold by the municipality for just under 200,000 euros each. Starters from the municipality of Halderberge are given priority. A lottery during the council meeting on Thursday evening will determine who will be the new residents. Roks: “We receive them with flowers and cake and, if necessary, I help with odd jobs myself.”
