Homeless shelters everywhere in the Netherlands have reached their limits. People are already being sent away in some places, according to a tour by NU.nl. Additional places are often added in the winter. But providers worry about whether that’s enough.
“It’s packed,” Esme Wegmann told NU.nl. She is a director of Valente, the trade association for organizations that provide shelter to the homeless. “There is already tremendous pressure inside the homeless shelter.”
“We don’t want dormitories or rooms with multiple people,” Wegman says. “But maybe that’s necessary now, because it’s better than sleeping outside.” The industry meeting examined whether existing facilities could be expanded.
“There was also tremendous pressure during Corona,” she continues. “A lot has been achieved in a short time. It was possible to put empty hotel rooms, offices, cruise ships and holiday homes to use. This was safer and ensured that there were fewer people staying awake anxiously in a common room. Isn’t that possible again now?”
Due to a lack of space, the Flevoland homeless shelter will accommodate people in the gym. This creates fewer shortages, but does not alleviate employee concerns. “Concerns are not only about capacity, but also about the quality of the shelter,” says a spokesman for the Salvation Army from Flevoland. “We will again be working with many temporary and flexible workers. If periods of bad weather continue for a long period, the situation could become very tense.”
“It’s not a health care problem, it’s a housing problem.”
In Utrecht, some sites are so full that people are being sent back abroad, says an employee of Tussenfacility, a reception site in Utrecht. “It’s terrible that we have to send people away. Our employees are very keen to avoid that. We’ve already been stretching it a lot, but at a certain point it stops.”
He believes there is talk everywhere about additional beds, but “this is not a structural solution.” “People have been in shelters for too long because they cannot move into a home. There should not be extra beds, but homes.”
The Salvation Army shelter in Amsterdam sees this as well. A Salvation Army spokesperson said: “We have several people in the shelter who, if there is room, could move to another facility. This represents about 70 percent of current capacity.”
“Homeless shelter: This may seem like a health care problem, but it’s a housing problem,” Wegman says. “You want people to stay in the shelter for a maximum of three to four months. The shelter is there in crisis situations.” Nowadays, people often stay in shelters for nine months. But she also sees people sometimes staying in shelters for up to a year.
“If people have to stay in shelters longer, people’s mental problems could also become worse. This is of course something you don’t want at all. There should be more peace and stability for people. Then you can take steps.”
Housing First principle with Finland as an example
Outgoing Secretary of State for Youth and Prevention, Martin van Oijen, has presented a national action plan to deal with homeless shelters. In a letter to the House of Representatives, he said that “structurally reducing homelessness requires a radically different view of addressing homelessness.” He believes that housing is a human right and that care and housing should be separate.
The plan is based on the principle of housing first. Everyone should have a stable place to live “with tailored support”. This has been used in Finland for years. The homeless people will then be given a permanent home as quickly as possible.
This approach is very effective in preventing homelessness. And it’s cheaper too. For example, there are lower costs in hospitals, prisons and reception sites.
In Utrecht, we are working hard to build new homes for the homeless. “It has been promised that additional temporary housing will be installed,” says a spokesman for the temporary facility. It is not yet clear when it will actually be used. “The housing units were delayed and have not yet been installed.”
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