Commissioner of the King Arthur van Dijk this afternoon visited the factory of the Clean2Anywhere foundation, where young people with a distance to the labor market build flex homes from waste plastic. “We are investigating where we can place flex homes in the province, which is why we are here today.”
“It’s a shame,” Van Dijk calls it that the factory has come to a standstill. Even though after a long time there are sixteen flexible homes for these first a place in Andijk on the eyeas long as they are in the factory they are not inhabited and the Edwin ter Velde foundation cannot continue to build.
And so it is that the foundation built sixteen flex homes faster in just under two years than the government succeeded in finding space for them. Many enthusiastic municipal administrators have already visited us. Ter Velde: “Until now, nothing has really emerged that will set things in motion again. That sometimes makes you despondent. But there are finally a lot of pots on the fire.”
The province is investigating flexible housing
Up to 2030, more than 180,000 homes are needed in North Holland. There is no doubt that the province has a great need for flexible housing. The province is now investigating this. “We look at what is currently being produced in our own province,” explains Van Dijk.
“What I think is great about what is happening here is that a sustainable circular home is being built for a very acceptable price that is both movable, does not need a foundation, can be taken apart again, and many people with a distance to the labor market to get a job.”
He also sees municipalities struggling with flexible housing projects. “I see how much difficulty municipalities have in making the choice to place these types of homes and the impression is given that it is more expensive, but in practice it appears that the homes can be built according to building regulations and are sustainable.”
Possibilities
Van Dijk cannot make any promises, but there are possibilities: “When it comes to the province’s own land, we can do a lot. And suppose municipalities do not want to cooperate at all, even take a project decision as a province, but I hope not that it ever comes to that.”
Looking back at the past elections, the need is high. “There it was only about housing. All political parties are talking about it and I hope that the Provincial Council of the province also understand that if we can take a step here, we should.”
Ter Velde still cannot believe that it had to come to this and that production would come to a standstill. “We solve several problems: we put people to work, we build houses and we reuse 4.5 tons of waste plastic with every house. We also solve that global problem a bit.”
In any case, he is convinced to make a restart. “As soon as there is a new order, we will start again. Rather tomorrow than the day after tomorrow. But you cannot stretch it indefinitely. We can use this hall until next summer, but that is not possible now. That is a great shame.”