In the Hoofddorppleinbuurt, a house on the Woestduinstraat has been squatted. The vacant house is currently standing for sale for an asking price of 475,000 euros. Housing corporation Lieven De Key owns the property and says it will file a report.
video-caption">AT5
Action group Not For Sale, which is behind the action, says it has squatted the building in protest against the sale of social housing. Several activists have gathered in front of the house to demonstrate.
The squatters say they entered the building four days ago. It happens more often that a squatting action is kept quiet for the first few days. Since 2019, the police can take immediate action against squatters who are caught red-handed.
Local residents tell AT5 that they understand the action. “They encouraged that themselves,” says one of them, referring to the housing corporations. “As a neighborhood, we are really sorry that this house has been empty for more than a year. In this housing shortage, that is simply not possible. Young people still live here with their parents, they cannot find a home. That can’t be any longer, can it? come on! It makes me emotional, because I think: this is just going too far.”
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“While waiting lists are growing and the average waiting time is 14 years, we are taking matters into our own hands and reclaiming this home,” read a letter from the activists. “While housing associations say they build more social rental homes with the proceeds from sales, the total share of social rental homes in Amsterdam is decreasing. Now that private rents are unaffordable, this creates a city that is only for the rich.”
The house is still owned by the Lieven De Key housing corporation and would have been put up for sale a year ago. The building from 1933 has a living area of 66 square meters.
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