At a time when homes seem to be out of reach and house prices are rising, both the elderly and young people in Klazienaveen take matters into their own hands. Both groups have a collective private commissioning (CPO) with which they want to realize around 110 homes on either side of the village.
For Justin Verschoor (28) and his family, the search for a new home has since become a story of years. In Klazienaveen, where he lives with his girlfriend and daughter, the shortage on the housing market can be clearly felt.
Verschoor currently lives with his family in a terraced house, which they were able to drag away with the fire six years ago. “At the time, we viewed between fifteen and twenty homes, and seriously offered on seven to eight homes. Yet we grabbed it every time,” says Verschoor.
At the time, he was only assigned his current home because the seller set as a condition that the buyer was not allowed to have an existing home. “If that had not been the case, we would probably not have been there either.”
Now that Verschoor and his partner were allowed to welcome a daughter in their midst for two years, they are currently looking for a house with more space. And history repeats itself, according to Verschoor: “A bid made on 12 homes and left behind empty -handed.” It makes a despondency, according to the Klazienavener.
What is frustrating for Verschoor also applies to many peers. “You see many young people from Klazienaveen leave because they can’t find anything here.” And his family wants to avoid that step. “Our parents live here, friends too. We just want to stay close.”
That is why Verschoor has joined the CPO initiative De Groene Bevers, a collective private commissioning in which future residents jointly develop their own homes.
The CPO is in demand: the counter is now between 75 and 80 registrations. The intention is to realize around 50 homes on a piece of land on the east side of Klazienaveen, near the Derksweg and Engweg. The land is in the hands of two private owners, who are willing to sell.
For the time being it is still waiting for conversations with the municipality. First the initiators want to talk to local residents. “We want to know how they think about the arrival of a new neighborhood in their neighborhood.” The hope is that building can be started within three years, and that the neighborhood will be there in four years.
Albert Pol (70) has been living in Klazienaveen all his life and would like to keep it that way. He currently lives in a family home on a large plot. “But my partner and I have the desire to involve a smaller house. The subsequent search resulted in a disappointment.” We initially thought of an apartment. But they are so over the top, extremely expensive, sometimes up to half a million euros. “
Pol and partner had no appetite. Via a neighbor he is pointed out for the establishment of a CPO. “I then went to a meeting and it was me.” More than sixty older residents of Klazienaveen and the surrounding area have now joined this.
The municipality of Emmen will use the former AZC site near the village for the construction of 250 homes. The owner of an adjacent plot of five hectares is willing to sell the land for housing development. “On that piece of land, our CPO can get rid of sixty life -course -proof homes.”
The idea is that the CPO has and keeps a finger in all parts of the development. “We have the necessary knowledge ourselves. I have a architectural background. In addition, an architect and an installer are also part of the CPO,” said Pol.
The idea is to do the necessary purchases together and to decide for yourself which architect and contractor will be hired. In this way Pol expects that you can build cheaper than through a project developer.
Although the AZC site is already in the picture with the municipality as a redevelopment location, it is unclear to what extent the municipality sees room for cooperation with a citizens’ initiative such as this. “We don’t want to oppose or override the municipality,” says Pol.
“On the contrary. We want to work together. Let us think along, participate. The need is, the people are there, the plans are there.” The CPO would like to start building as quickly as possible. “Rather today than tomorrow.”