What we know

The problem of homelessness

According to figures from the CBS (National statistics agency), the Netherlands has about 26,000 homeless people, but the actual numbers are believed to be many times higher. Homelessness takes many forms and not everyone can use the current shelter facilities. In many cases, additional care needs, such as in the situation of domestic violence, addiction-, mental health- and/or debt problems, must be present in order to be able to stay in emergency, night- or winter shelter, for example. The number of homeless young people with and without these problems has been growing for years, just like the group of people who become homeless after losing a job or following a divorce. Because they cannot find a home due to the sky-high rents and long waiting lists in the current housing market, they become homeless. These target groups are also called ‘economically homeless’: a growing group of people with jobs who do not have a home and cannot rely on the current shelter systems. These are people who are forced to sleep on the couches of friends or family, move into a holiday home or stay in an unsuitable or uninhabitable place such as a car, boat or squat. Such emergency solutions, combined with short stays in (night) shelter facilities, can quickly follow each other and alternate. As a result, not every ‘homeless person’ ends up equally well in the statistics.

Pressure on facilities

Government, municipalities, agencies and organizations involved in homelessness cannot meet the high demand for shelter places. Social care facilities are overcrowded and the flow towards private homes is stalling. The call for extra beds is great. When rapid upscaling is required within a period, this often happens under great time pressure. Because time pressure is often high and there are too few suitable temporary locations, solutions are chosen that are not ideal and expensive. For instance, additional (bunk) beds are added at existing locations, investments are made in creating booking systems to maximize occupancy or hotel rooms are temporarily used to house people.

Your own space

Escaping from a homeless situation requires peace and stability, but emergency and night shelter facilities do not offer this. People can generally only stay there at night, which means they are back on the streets during the day. There is little privacy because there are dormitories with bunk beds or at most, thin dividing walls. A permanent sleeping facility with a door that can be locked makes it easier for people to find a place to live and organize their lives. Jobs can be continued from a permanent place of residence, additional care is easier to provide and health can be guaranteed. Without a permanent place of residence, people are more likely to end up in a downward spiral (loss of work and social networks, increasing risk of addiction and unsafe situations).

New type of facilities

There is a need for a new type of facility for the urgent care of homeless people, especially for homeless people who are currently falling through the cracks. Temporary facilities in existing real estate or temporary use of land can provide space for this. In Amsterdam, many offices are empty (sometimes for several years), awaiting renovation, sale or demolition. These buildings are often not used because their layout makes them unsuitable as temporary shelter facilities. The design of the Emergency Cabins responds to this.