For the brothers Brent and Cedric, two young tenants of the Johannes Vermeerstraat 83 in Amsterdam, threatens soon eviction by their landlord, Jan Waal GZ Family Fund Foundation. Threatening again Amsterdam residents to be pushed out of private social rental housing out of town in the quest for even more money for property owners. That process has to stop here now. The residents demand housing security!
Come to the demands handover!
Saturday 27/03/21
Rijnstraat 170, Amsterdam
Eviction: What's going on?
While the Galis family has lived in the house for several generations since 1960, the owner refuses to transfer the lease to the live-in grandson Brent. He lived permanently with his recently deceased grandmother and provided her with informal care. Due to years of overdue maintenance, the owner now sees his chance to renovate and exchange the current residents. The owner, the Jan Waal GZ Family Fund foundation, note one Public Benefit Institution (ANBI) (!), was unwilling to transfer the lease to Brent, who had lived there for seven years, after his grandmother's death.
In 1971 the oral lease was taken over by Charlotte Galis from her father. The family now wanted to transfer it again. But the owner said he wanted to rent out the house for "a little more" and do a renovation without a return guarantee for the residents. The owner has since requested eviction and has been granted by the judge. BPW is assisting residents to challenge and support this decision.
Housing insecurity has become the norm
Housing insecurity has increasingly become the norm and young people and start-ups are the main victims of this. This problem occurs throughout the Netherlands, but has reached a boiling point, especially in cities such as Amsterdam. Temporary contracts and unaffordable rents are increasing the number of inequality of opportunity and oppression in Amsterdam public housing. We want this to stop and ask for housing security, especially during the current housing and corona crisis. What public benefit is intended by making two young Amsterdammers homeless by this ANBI institution?
House madness
The WOZ value of the property has almost doubled since 2015. While the current residents of this poorly maintained social rental home now pay a rent of no less than €837, considerably more money can be earned if they make way for other tenants. For example, poorer residents are replaced by richer residents and the population composition of Amsterdam changes. This house has been the home of the Galis family for 60 years, now this house is being cleared for more profit.
Action & Demands
Residents and BPW demand from the Jan Waal GZ Family Fund Foundation to to take social responsibility:
1. Stop the eviction. Destroy the verdict.
2. Offer a rental agreement.
3. Renovate only with residents return guarantee.
4. Offer housing security. Nobody on the street.
Housing Action Day
This promotion takes place during Housing Action Day, the international day of action for housing. The end of March is traditionally the end of the winter break ('trêve hivernale') on evictions in France. At the same time, this heralds the start of a wave of evictions and national resistance. In the Netherlands, too, people are still thrown out on the street every day. The story of the Galis family is the symbol of a broader development that is underway. Evictions are certainly not appropriate during a housing and corona crisis. Come and make your voice heard on March 27!
Support the fight for housing security!
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