After years of battling for additional resources, the Straatalliantie (Street Alliance) was recently able to launch as an independent organization, with a full team now operating in an extensively renovated and expanded Daklozenkantoor (Homeless Office). To mark this occasion, the symposium “RechteDakloos” was held at the adjacent LAB 111. The event centered on current issues facing the homeless, and the challenges for the Straatalliantie as an independent advocacy organization.

Last summer, it became clear that human rights are being violated, when the European Committee of Social Rights judged that the Netherlands systematically violates the treaty by failing to provide shelter, explained Carolien de Groot, founder of Bureau Straatjurist/BADT. She discussed how homelessness can be viewed from a legal perspective. “Homelessness is a housing problem, and the right to housing is being violated.”

This approach also triggered Alderman Rutger Groot Wassink: “I once considered filing a lawsuit against the government myself.” Groot Wassink, responsible for social affairs and shelter, was also present in July 2022 during the opening of Het Daklozenkantoor, which at the time only occupied the top floor of the building on Arie Biemondstraat and was made up of just two and a half employees. “The public does not know how big the problem is. It is up to us, with all different responsibilities, to make this visible.” He added, “I hope the Straatalliantie remains a pain in the ass.”

During the meeting, other persistent issues were also discussed, such as the Zelfredzaamheidsmatrix (Self-sufficiency Matrix). This tool was designed to ensure no areas of living are overlooked during intake, but in practice, it is used as an exclusion criterion. Willemijn de Nooijer, the new director of the Straatalliantie, spoke about families who are unable to find support anywhere, even though Amsterdam has stated for years that they must not be left on the streets. There were discussions about rulings not always providing written rejections (which prevents you from filing an appeal), the problems surrounding regional ties, and so on.

The second part of the symposium was initiated with a personal column from Rob Geurtsen, who has lived on the streets himself, and has volunteered for Het Daklozenkantoor since its inception. This was followed by a panel discussion with Fatiyha Abdi (city council member of the PvdA), Jan de Vries (board member of the Straatalliantie), and Cody Hochstenbach (author of the book “You Can’t Live in Shame”). They collectively concluded that homelessness, though primarily a housing issue, can only be resolved through cooperation between various institutions.

SIDEBAR: The Straatalliantie (Street Alliance) is an independent advocate for homeless people in Amsterdam. The Straatalliantie was formed as a partnership between the MDHG, Bureau Straatjurist (Street Lawyer Bureau), and the Daklozenvakbond (Homeless Union). Since 2024, the Straatalliantie has been an independent foundation, with Bureau Straatjurist transferring its tasks to it. Collaboration in advocacy between the Straatalliantie, MDHG, and the Daklozenvakbond continues. The Drug Users Advocacy Group MDHG focuses primarily on drug users, while the Daklozenvakbond is involved in providing mailing addresses.

By: Leonie Brendel