From caregiver to homeless person
Kelly had previously cared for her sick mother on Keldonkstraat for more than 4 years as a caregiver and when her mother's health deteriorated further, she moved in with her in 2019. She had a sustainable joint household with her mother and wanted to register as a co-tenant on the rental contract. This was refused by TIWOS. After her mother died in December 2021, Kelly wanted to continue her residence. TIWOS refused again. After a lawsuit in which eviction was requested in September 2022, a settlement followed that Kelly could still use the home for 2 years. Despite Kelly constantly responding and being on the waiting list for 9 years, this turned out to be insufficient time to find another suitable home in the Tilburg region. Kelly is now at risk of being evicted from her home on September 30 and becoming homeless.
Social solutions
Kelly: “I chose to help my sick mother, to be there for her during this vulnerable period. I was not aware of the risk I was taking by helping her. I had time and gave up my unpleasant private rental home for her to be able to care for her full-time. After all, I was going to care for her and live with her 24/7 and could therefore no longer be present in my rental home. I did what my mother needed, I had no choice! Now I get a bad rap for my thanks and I even risk becoming homeless?! As a society, we want people to care for each other (informally), but it feels like you are actually being punished for it.”
Kelly suffers from a functional neurological disorder (FNS), which causes limbs including her arm to fail. She also has a WMO indication for outpatient care. The complaints have been seriously aggravated in recent months due to the threat of eviction. “I feel powerless and completely trapped. I want peace of mind and housing security so that I can rebuild my life after a traumatic period.”
Homeless due to bureaucracy
The house has recently been labelled as a 55+ house by a real estate agent. And Kelly is 34. This is how bureaucratic hurdles are thrown up to avoid finding a solution. However, TIWOS advises to simply live in anti-squat without any rights. This is how the social problems are dumped elsewhere and individualised. What are the personal consequences and social costs of shuffling and chasing people around before their housing problems are solved? Ultimately, Kelly simply has to be housed in social housing again. While she already lives there!
End homelessness by 2030
The government's objective in the “National Action Plan for Homelessness: A Home First” to completely eradicate homelessness by 2030. “This will only succeed if we take action now. Together we can prevent vulnerable tenants like Kelly from becoming homeless and gain housing security in dignified social housing. That is what social housing associations like TIWOS were originally set up for,” says the BPW.
Preventing homelessness should be given much more urgency by TIWOS and also by the municipality of Tilburg. As long as politics and society fail to realize widely accessible public housing and prevent homelessness, we claim housing security for everyone. Kelly can't go anywhere and isn't going anywhere!
BPW Tilburg and Kelly demand.
- Prevent homelessness. Stop evictions and provide housing security.
- Offers a regular rental contract in the current home or suitable rehousing elsewhere.
- The municipality of Tilburg and Tiwos must do everything they can to prevent homelessness of Kelly and in Tilburg in general.
Show your solidarity.
Come to the action on Thursday September 26 at 2:00 PM at TIWOS, Stationsstraat 24 in Tilburg.
For more information, please contact BPW or the resident via contact@ bondprecairewoonvormen.nl
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