Habion old people’s homes are for sale, the city of Leeuwarden is angry: what now?

Housing association for senior housing Habion wants to leave Leeuwarden. All four properties in the town have already been sold subject to conditions. But the town is afraid of what will happen to it now. Talks between the two parties have come to a standstill. What now?

Habion wants to sell the Hofwijck, Sint Jozef, Eezicht and De Helling centers. That is a total of 241 residential units. The city fears that they will disappear and not return as social housing if they end up in the hands of a private individual.

“Because we don’t agree with that,” said councilor Hein de Haan. “They can say they will keep it up for a few years, but then they can do whatever they want with it. Then our analysis is: then we will lose them, because they will “Paying much more than the social landlord wants to pay for.”

It fits the group’s policy. For a few years now, Habion has only wanted to invest in high-end housing in the middle of the country.

“We are seeing that our buildings are becoming empty as more and more elderly people can receive nursing care at home and no longer want to go to an old nursing home,” said Habion director Peter Boerenfijn.

“Then we have to rent to other target groups, for example to young people, like with Swettehiem. That’s fine, but that’s not our target group. Our target group is on average 80 years old age.”