Amsterdam is withdrawing from cooperation for the housing crisis problem of students without consultation
A ‘separate covenant with objectives aimed at one target group is no longer realistic’, according to the municipality. Student union Asva and the University of Amsterdam have been noticed.
“It is worrying that the municipality is ending the covenant without informing the universities, student unions and housing corporations,” says Bor van Zeeland of Asva Student Union.
Aldermen Zita Pels (Public Housing) and Reinier Van Dantzig (Housing) announced alternative means in a council letter this week that the ‘covenant student housing’ will not be extended. This without informing the interlocutors, whom the municipality is already thinking about at the table.
Insult
“It is actually a bit of a complete adjustment for all covenant partners”, translated by Van Zeeland. “Everyone has made the necessary effort to achieve the objectives of the covenant.”
The University of Amsterdam, the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, the Amsterdam School of the Arts, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Hotel School The Hague, Woonstichting Lieven de Key, student housing association Duwo and student unions Asva and SRVU sat down with the municipality for the annual covenant to ‘in Amsterdam’ achieve a better match between supply and demand for affordable student housing’.
The aim of the talks was to reduce the shortage of student housing, to improve the position of students on the housing market and to strike a good balance in the distribution of housing to national and international students.
Do not refresh
A statement from the municipality says that the covenant has not been terminated, but that it has been decided ‘not to renew’. “Partners will be tentative on this after the council is confirmed,” the statement said. The municipality does say that the ‘necessity’ remains to ensure sufficient housing and that ‘all partners are needed’.
“But as indicated earlier, the municipality does not see a covenant as an essential instrument to strengthen this cooperation. The municipality will discuss with the covenant partners how the cooperation will be fleshed out after the covenant has expired.”
Jan Lintsen, Vice-President of the Executive Board of the UvA and signatory of the covenant, says he is surprised. “We have been working together on this complex problem for years. It is very difficult and everyone is trying to do what is in their power. From the universities throughout the Netherlands, the correct conclusion is to enter into dialogue with municipalities in this way. And then Amsterdam stopped. Without informing us.”
Linsen hopes that the talks with the municipality will continue in a different form. “Working together on this problem seems to me to be of the utmost importance.”
Housing corporation Lieven de Key is also ‘surprised’ about the briefing of the aldermen, she said via a spokesperson. “We are in line with the student housing covenant and the national student housing action plan. Among other things, we are committed to offering students a room, because this should be a minimum and positive part of the study experience. We are doing this to quickly achieve more student housing to compensate for the shortage.”
Worrying
According to Lieven de Key, the situation in Amsterdam is ‘worrying’ and the room shortage will continue to increase. “By canceling the student housing covenant, and without offering prospects for a different approach, the municipality is sending the message that it pays less attention to this target group.”
Group leader Juliet Broersen of opposition party Volt thinks it is an ‘unwise’ decision by the municipality. “The Board has stated that they do not see this as the most convincing instrument for continuing the collaboration, while they also know that a covenant had an influencing function. That alone is reason enough for us to extend the covenant.”
Underprivileged child
According to Broersen, students ‘have literally been neglected lately’. “Students in Amsterdam, for example, do not receive an energy allowance, and the ‘unlucky generation’ is not compensated by the government. Through this covenant, we commit ourselves to agreements and agreements to stand up for this group. It’s a great example of how we’re working in tandem with personal sexual activity and towards this.”
Subsequently, Volt and the VVD jointly organize an expert meeting in the municipality about student housing, which can cause many problems. Myron von Gerhardt (VVD) calls the non-renewal ‘strange’. “I also hear from the other discussion partners that they want it to be continued. There are too few student residences and the objectives of recent years have also not been achieved. The need to have something is great.”