Unrest in Heemstede: municipality wants to buy a villa worth 2 million euros for the reception of asylum seekers

“It raised more questions than it provided answers,” says Sander Faassen about the information meeting. Faassen lives right next to the villa that the municipality has in mind and is very concerned about the plans.

It was not until last Friday that local residents received a letter for the first time in which they were informed of the plans. Yesterday was the first information meeting to inform the neighborhood ‘about which next steps you can expect’, can be read in the letter in the hands of NH.

25 young people in a villa

The municipality’s plan is as follows: for the price of 1,928,500 euros, the municipality has become the owner of the villa, as can be read in a council decision of 9 June. It is a villa of 372 square meters with eleven rooms, six bedrooms, two bathrooms and a jacuzzi.

The purchase contract has already been signed, although the sale will only be completed if the city council also agrees. The municipality wants to renovate the detached house and rent it to the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) from the beginning of next year. They will use the building as accommodation for 25 unaccompanied minor asylum seekers.

According to Faassen, the dynamics that 25 minors bring to a house are undesirable in the neighbourhood. “Just put a class of 25 in a house of 370 square meters,” he gives as an example. “And then it is also true that this group of young people generally has a traumatic background and has had to leave home and hearth.” In addition, according to him, there are hardly any facilities in the area for spontaneous sports or the like.

Faassen emphasizes that he has particular difficulty with the way in which the municipality deals with the issue. He has no difficulty in housing asylum seekers in Heemstede.

Letter in the bus

He understands that Heemstede also has to contribute to the reception of asylum seekers. “Given the great pressure from above on the college of B&W,” he explains. “But that is why there must also be pressure from below.”

“You can expect that there will be constructive talks with the residents,” continues Faassen. “You don’t get rid of that with a simple note in the mail.”

“It just took us by surprise,” concludes Faassen. He is not satisfied with the way in which the municipality informs its residents about the process. For Faassen, the last word on this has not yet been said. There will be a consultation evening on Monday where he will have his say. “In any case, you can say that I sleep very badly.”