September 28, the OCCII is hosting a benefit event to help the Klokkenhof squatters prepare for a court case and other expenses:
Towering over Surinameplein stands the monumental Klokkenhof flat. Originally built in 1962 with the purpose of housing single working women, now its current owner, property investor Vesteda, plans to renovate the building and charge returning renters higher rent, and is continuing the longstanding trend of investors driving low income workers, students and elderly people further out of the city. Where there used to be 144 social housing apartments, there will be very few left after the renovation.
Vesteda has for years been trampling on renters’ rights and creating a lot of uncertainty amongst them. Renters are being asked to find alternative housing in a market that’s in the worst shape it has ever been in, and then return to their homes which will cost them hundreds of euros more to live in.
Many have moved out already and will not return, but there are still renters who simply can not leave. Some refuse to leave and do not agree with Vesteda’s plans for their homes and the surrounding area. Renters also have the right to stay in their homes until the moment the renovations officially begin. Due to Vesteda’s continuous lack of transparency it is unclear when these renovations will actually take place. The necessary permits have not yet been granted, and Vesteda’s incredibly irresponsible and dangerous practices trying to keep the building free of squatters might slow down the process as well. They have barricaded perfectly livable apartments and demolished dozens of them too, leading to a damaged water system, causing leakages through multiple floors and a potential threat of Legionella bacteria forming, a lot of noise and chaos in the building while renters and squatters still reside inside. It seems like Vesteda are starting their renovations with total disregard for the permit process and the safety and health of their renters.
Since May 2024 a substantial amount of apartments in Klokkenhof have been squatted. There are many renters who support the squatting and understand that it is one of the few tools we have to wield against institutional investors in a housing landscape in which this country’s government has failed people massively for decades.
This benefit has been organized to help the squatters prepare for a court case and other expenses.
Some squats in the Netherlands: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/NL/squated/squat
Groups (social center, collective, squat) in the Netherlands: https://radar.squat.net/en/groups/country/NL
Events in the Netherlands: https://radar.squat.net/en/events/country/NL
