28 June, Utrecht – This morning, a group of squatters announced that they had squatted two houses on the Burgemeesters Reigerstraat. The squatters have been in the buildings next to the Wilhelminapark since Wednesday, they said in a statement. Due to the current housing crisis, the group feels justified in reoccupying the vacant houses. According to the squatters, the houses have been empty for more than ten years.
Banners with the slogans “attention, vacancy prevention” and “three times is the right to live” have been hanging on the facades of the buildings since this morning. “Apparently, there have been two attempts to squat these buildings before,” says Sander, spokesperson for the group. “These houses have been empty for so long now and we are in the middle of a gigantic housing crisis. It is therefore inconceivable for us that we will be evicted and put out on the street.” The young group of squatters indicates that they have been looking for a home for a long time. With the campaign, they want to show that squatting can offer a solution to rising house prices and the growing housing shortage. According to the group of squatters, several local residents have already indicated that they support the squatting action. [Read More]
