It is the third time that the homeless people have been counted in dozens of municipalities. This time this happened in the Amsterdam-Amstelland, The Hague, Noordkop, Eindhoven, IJssel-Vecht, Maastricht-Heuvelland, Maassluis-Vlaardingen-Schiedam, Valleir region and Zaanstreek. In addition, a total of 28,721 homeless people were counted. It concerns almost 25,000 adults and around 4,000 children.
“The third counting round confirms the image that emerged from the earlier Ethos counts, namely that the group of homeless people is very diverse,” says researcher Annabel Scheepers of Hogeschool Utrecht. “Homelessness affects both adult men and women and young people and children. Most adults do not stay, as is often thought, on the street, but in family or friends (31 percent) or in non-conventional living spaces such as a car, shed or mobile home (18 percent). The count also brings this hidden homelessness into the picture.”
No binding
“We are shocked by the results of the Ethos counting, but not surprised,” says Alderman Rutger Groot Wassink of Amsterdam. Together with his colleague Mariëlle Vavier, he calls on the cabinet to work on a “Spreading Act for the care of homeless families”. According to The Hague and Amsterdam, the big cities take care of many families who have no connection with the municipalities.
The Salvation Army points out that the figures are considerably higher than those of the CBS and says that the Netherlands is in a crisis situation. Also for the Salvation Army, the results do not come as a surprise. “We have regularly indicated what we see: a crowded social shelter, no flow options, many people on the street and as a result of a shortage of suitable living places less perspective on recovery for roof and homeless people,” says Harm Slomp.
Ethos stands for European Typology of Homelessness and Housing Exclusion. 645 ‘counting organizations’, such as municipal services, social relief organizations, general practitioners and housing associations.
