Residents of the Mendelssohn flat in Tilburg are very disappointed. Their intercom has been broken for months. It means that you cannot ring the doorbell and that has been causing serious problems for three months now: “What about emergency services, if they have to be here? Police, fire brigade, ambulance? It is life-threatening.”
At the entrance of the flat hangs a black panel with a screen and a large, round metal turntable. With that dial you can, in alphabetical order, find the resident you need and ring the bell.
“Somewhere a bell is ringing, no one knows where.”
Apartment resident Rien Boons demonstrates and presses the disc. “Now a bell is ringing somewhere, but no one knows where. At least not at the address you need.” Moments later, a metal lady’s voice sounds from the cabinet: “I have this very often and I don’t like this. People can only reach me by phone. ”
This is also daily fare for Boons: “Sometimes I get a call from my bed at seven in the morning, or in the evening when I’m already in bed. Because there are always people who want to be inside, but don’t know where to call. Family, but also home care or the pharmacy with medicines.”
If a package needs to be delivered, residents often post their telephone number at the entrance so that the delivery person can call. “But you don’t want to hang your phone number by the door, do you?” says Boons. “There should really only be one number, that of the landlord Wonen Breburg.”
Boons is tired of it, he says: “And I’m not alone. This has been the case since December 8. When will it be made? People become aggressive. We set a hefty rent. But what is the rent for? To live in a flat where things work. We believe that Wonen Breburg is responsible for that.”
“It’s taken too long.”
Spokesperson Eva Boon of Wonen Breburg acknowledges that the attitude of the Tilburg housing corporation does not deserve a beauty prize: “It took too long, but we will start the implementation at the beginning of April, to make the intercom.” Whether the bell will be repaired or whether there will be a new system is coming, she doesn’t know.