Early 2023, Ben and his girlfriend Ilona reported to BPW Den Haag with an upcoming eviction from housing corporation Hof Wonen. Within two weeks, they would be evicted from their demolition house on Stuwstraat in The Hague. After the death of his sister, for whom he fulfilled the role of informal caregiver for several years, Hof Wonen did not allow him to take over the lease. In the meantime, more than a year and a half have passed and Ben and Ilona have been made homeless for the third time. They are now staying at a campsite on their last money. BPW Den Haag is starting a crowdfunding to support them in the coming months with their living expenses and accommodation costs.

In March 2022, Klaas moves into a room in a shared home in Utrecht with a temporary contract, with the prospect of a permanent contract. Despite this promise, the tenant receives a letter a year later stating that he and two other housemates must vacate their room, but a telephone conversation with landlord Amita reveals that they are allowed to continue living in their room if they deregister with the municipality and switch to paying the rent in cash. With a view to the future sale of the property and the possible introduction of the Affordable Rent Act, Amita, owner of six properties, does not want to offer the tenants a permanent contract, but clearly does not want to miss out on rental income either. For Klaas, cooperating seems to be the only option at that time to avoid losing the roof over his head, and in the meantime this situation has continued since March 2023. Nevertheless, the landlord now demands that the tenants vacate the property by 31 August, so that she can sell it without them for a higher price. Unacceptable for Klaas, who cannot find another place to live.

After more than a decade of tourism, short-term stays and unbearable housing price growth, the limit has been reached for Lisbon residents. Thousands protested and took to the streets to demand an end to evictions and to demand the right to live and the city. However, the Portuguese government has consistently refused to take action. The local population is not taken into account. It is being pushed away and has to move due to pressure from both national and international real estate and tourism investors.

Woonopstand will take action against Dutch real estate profiteers at the national real estate fair Provada on June 11 at 1 p.m. Parasitic real estate investors, private (large) landowners, slum landlords and other predatory investors come together here. They make the lives of many hundreds of thousands of people miserable. Participants in this fair are responsible for all kinds of abuses in the housing market. Insecurity, flexibilization, evictions, unaffordability, fraud, gentrification, you name it. On June 11, they will negotiate, also together with municipalities and government agencies, about the future of our living environment. The consequences of this public-private partnership are destroying lives and making people homeless. That has to stop!

About forty people participated this morning in the action “Freeze the rent”, organized by a coalition of SP Den Haag, Bond Precaire Woonvorms Den Haag (BPW), The Hague City Party and Wij refuse the rent increase. The protest took place in front of the entrance to the office of housing association Haag Wonen on Waldorpstraat and was aimed at the highest rent increase in thirty years that housing associations in The Hague want to introduce.

An estimated eighty people took part last night in the militant protest action in front of Rotterdam city hall, which was organized by Woonopstand, in collaboration with the Bond Precaire Woonvorms (BPW). The action was aimed against the new housing vision of the municipality of Rotterdam, about which the city council met last night.

The municipality of Rotterdam will meet on March 14 to discuss the new housing vision.

The national action coalition Woonopstand, which organized a large demonstration in Rotterdam in 2021, emphasizes that the new housing vision of the municipality of Rotterdam is still failing. That is why the Woonopstand will take action against the new housing vision at City Hall on March 14 at 8 p.m. in collaboration with the Precaire Housing Association (BPW).

2023 was a year of increasing social inequality, xenophobia, and repression of social movements and minorities in Europe. It has also been a year in which having a roof over your head has become self-evident for fewer and fewer people. That is why, together with the European Action Coalition, we are calling for a week of decentralized housing actions throughout Europe! Organize and mobilize!

12/01/24 – Dear supporters, we hope that this invitation reaches you in good health. In response to the impending rent increases, which are the highest in 30 years, we call on all tenants to unite and participate in our national action meeting on February 3 in Den Bosch. Together we can make a difference in the fight for affordable housing.