On October 24 there was a film screening of the documentary “Vacancy without worries” in movie house Movie W in Wageningen.  Below is a short report of the debate with local politicians that followed.

Politicians in Wageningen from SP, VVD and GroenLinks have promised change with regard to tackling vacancy in Wageningen. The documentary Vacancy without worries was an “eye-opener” we thought it was well organized in Wageningen, said Johan Osinga of the VVD. “The municipality should not outsource the management of vacant buildings to anti-squat agencies such as Interim Vastgoedbeheer,” said Hetty van Nes on behalf of GroenLinks. The possibility of pursuing its own vacancy policy in Wageningen will therefore be reconsidered if it is up to the VVD, SP and GroenLinks. About 30 visitors who came to watch the documentary thought it was time for action, especially now that the waiting lists are increasing and many people are facing urgent housing problems. A woman present from Wageningen stated in the debate with the politicians “You have the power to organize this city”. The politicians present stated that they were now aware of the urgency of the matter and promised improvement. It is still unclear what form this will take. People in precarious housing have to make do with it, even after this evening. To be continued.