In August, the Bond Precaire Woonvorm (BPW), Doorbraak, Niet Te Koop and others started a campaign to support a family with a baby in Amsterdam. That family is in danger of being evicted from their home by the landlord, housing corporation De Key, due to termination of their flex rental contract as of 1 October. Meanwhile, support for the family is steadily growing. Sign too the petition against flexible renting and join the action visit at De Key on September 12!
The family of mother Busra, father Zoubair and their child Souhaib is not offered a replacement accommodation by De Key and threatens to end up on the street as a result. More and more tenants are getting into trouble due to the curtailment of social rent and the flexibility of renting. To prevent eviction, Busra contacted the BPW some time ago. In collaboration with her, the BPW and other organizations and individuals launched a petition against the family's impending homelessness. More generally, this petition is also directed against the disastrous consequences of the flexible rental policy, which De Key and many other housing associations are unfortunately very much in favor of.
| We ask housing association De Key: – let this family live in their house; – stop the eviction and offer them housing security; – change policies that create more and more flex nomads and homelessness; – stop making our social housing units more flexible; – offer permanent leases; – equal rights: rehousing in the event of eviction, also for flex tenants; – stop dumping social responsibility. As a housing association, De Key is responsible for stable housing for all its tenants. |
About 700 people have now signed the petition. The signatories also include tenants who have previously been the victim of De Key's flexible rental policy. The campaign against the impending eviction is also supported by Amsterdam organizations such as Tenants' Association East, Tenants' Association De Pijp, Faircity, the Bijstandsbond and the Affordable Housing Initiative Amsterdam Noord, and by national organizations such as the Woonbond. “This eviction illustrates the disastrous effect of temporary contracts on tenants and society”, thus Woonbond employee Jannie Komduur. Previously, the Woonbond already spent attention to the #Fuckflex campaign, a recent initiative of the BPW. The Tenants' Association Almere, DwangArbeid Nee Groningen (DANG) and the Workgroup Tenants of the PvdA also support Busra, her husband and their seven-month-old baby.
source of inspiration
Busra has been in contact with various media, which has led to two video interviews, with AT5 and Node TV. Together with other activists, she collected more than 130 signatures of support in two afternoons, from residents of the apartment complex where she lives and a shopping center near her. Many apartment residents were positive about the petition. They could easily put themselves in Busra's situation, because they are also flex tenants. In all the corridors and in the elevator of the flat, students and other residents hung action posters with the slogan “Stop evictions”. Sooner or later, these flex tenants are also forced by the landlord to leave their accommodation. This housing insecurity causes them a lot of stress. The call to change that is therefore widely supported.
By seeking support in a neighborhood where many social rented homes have been converted into temporary flex rental homes, Busra gets to hear first-hand experiences from other flex tenants. Tenants and home seekers show a broad solidarity with her family. Journalists, firefighters, jobless people, teachers, social workers, self-employed workers, retirees, artists, catering workers and all kinds of other people have now signed the petition against eviction. They express their support and outrage. The fight against flexible renting is not just a fight between students and other young people. It is a matter for all people who now or in the future rent or want to rent a living space.
Get signatures.
With her campaign against imminent eviction, Busra can be an important source of inspiration for other tenants in her living environment and beyond. With two video calls, she urges everyone to sign the petition and participate in the action on September 12, from 14:00 at De Key's headquarters, Hoogte Kadijk 179 in Amsterdam. There the petition will be presented to De Key and the pressure on the housing association will be increased.
Harry Westerink
Get signatures.
Get signatures.
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