National Liveability and Safety Program calls for a brake on the placement of vulnerable people in vulnerable neighborhoods

“It’s like mopping with the tap open,” the twelve directors write. ‘We can continue to offer school breakfasts, school social work or extracurricular activities for a long time to offer residents more opportunities and prevent disadvantages. But that is negated when people come home to nuisance and insecurity in their own living environment.’

Previously, district administrators from Amsterdam-Noord and Nieuw-West raised the alarm after a stabbing in the Bloemenbuurt in Noord. A man was stabbed to death there in broad daylight in October last year. It later turned out that the suspect had been assigned a home in the area through the HVO-Querido healthcare institution and had been causing a nuisance for some time. Local residents felt that relatively many homes in their neighborhood were going to vulnerable people with (psycho)social problems. Figures confirmed that.

Social capacity

Housing association Ymere and the North district have therefore promised not to place any more vulnerable people in the Bloemenbuurt for the time being. That measure was recently extended. “I think we are reaching a point where the social capacity in some neighborhoods is reaching its limits,” said Brahim Abid, district chairman in Noord, a few weeks after the stabbing..

The fact that many rental houses in vulnerable neighborhoods are allocated to people with (psycho)social problems is because there are many smaller and more affordable social rental homes in those neighborhoods, which become available quickly. “Housing associations, which have the task of also housing vulnerable people, therefore place relatively more vulnerable people with us,” says Abid.

The directors of the NPLV are asking for ‘unorthodox’ measures. ‘For example, priority for home seekers who do not require extra attention from neighbors or authorities. Many shoulders, of people as well as teachers, work consultants, police and care providers, are already overloaded.’

Distribution

The NPLV therefore sees something in the system of the recently adopted Distribution Act, which should better distribute asylum reception. ‘This is an example of a law that divides vulnerable groups according to their ability to pay. In this case, by taking into account the average income of the residents in the allocation to municipalities; the higher the income, the more status holders. The logic behind this law is supported by many municipalities and housing associations.’

The NPLV calls on The Hague to put an end to the accumulation of problems in vulnerable neighborhoods and to continue investing. ‘Break the excessive concentration of people who are surviving instead of living. And it offers perspective: expand the possibilities when allocating housing.’

About the author: Jesper Roele has been writing for Het Parool since 2019 about everyday news from Amsterdam, festivals, nightlife and techsector. You can send tips to [email protected].