Research flow-through location De Twirre

Should the municipality do this or may the municipality do this?

The municipality has several statutory duties in the area of reception and housing of people who have newly arrived in the Netherlands.

For years, the municipality has had a mission statement for the housing of status holders. These are people who have received a residence permit. They eventually receive housing in our municipality or in another municipality. Returners are included in this target. So they do not come on top of it.

Since 2024, there has been the Spreading Act, which determines how many asylum seekers each municipality must accommodate. Asylum seekers are waiting for a status they do not yet know if they will be allowed to stay. The municipality of Opsterland must accommodate 173 asylum seekers according to the Spreidingswet. At the moment we do not meet this requirement. 

The municipality chooses to fulfill this task by creating flow-through sites for status holders instead of asylum shelters. Status holders now often stay in an AZC for a long time because there is no housing available yet. Therefore, these people cannot yet begin their integration either and keep places occupied in the AZCs.

By temporarily housing status holders in a transit location, places become available in the AZCs. In this way we relieve the burden on the asylum seekers and fulfill our obligation under the Spread Act in a different way. 

The people in the flow-through location are then housed in the municipality or surrounding municipalities. Thus, the flow-through site does not provide additional housing. 

Since 2022, municipalities have also been tasked with hosting Ukrainian refugees. 

Based on what laws and regulations is this allowed? 

The rijksoverheid has made a scheme for setting up flow-through sites available to municipalities. In addition, the rijksoverheid has introduced the Spreading Act. Thus, the Spreading Act is an important law in this topic. In addition, all municipalities in the Netherlands are obliged to help people who have a residence permit find social housing. Municipalities have that obligation for all residents who qualify for social housing, and that includes status holders.

Asylum and migration policies are in the news a lot at the moment. Several changes are being proposed, but they are not yet final. We are therefore currently working according to the current laws and regulations. As soon as new rules or regulations become final, we will review what this means for us as a municipality.

Will questions and concerns be addressed? 

Yes, the questions residents ask us and the concerns they express we include in our investigations. Over the past period we have collected the concerns of residents and have taken various actions in response. Some of the concerns are about the possible location, other concerns are about the unrest and nuisance that residents already experience in the village, for example by young people.

What is the difference between support and carrying capacity?

When we look at the carrying capacity of a village, we mean whether there are enough facilities and whether the social basis is in good order. So whether there are stores, associations, family doctors, a school and companies where status holders can work or associations where they can do volunteer work. We also look at whether there are people in the village who can help these people get started. Support refers to residents' opinions. Do residents think a particular plan is a good idea or not? Support is difficult to measure, however, because residents often have different opinions. 

The Twirre was unsalvageable. That was the message a few years ago. Why is the municipality investigating a building that cannot be saved? 

In 2022, the City Council decided that the Twirre was no longer suitable as a school building. The building was outdated, too large for the number of students and no longer sustainable. This does not mean that the old school building was no longer suitable for anything at all. It was no longer suitable for education but was still suitable, after renovation, for temporary filling apartments. 

What were the original plans for the building?

There were no original plans for the building.

Where is the municipality in the process? 

At this time, a Board of Mayor and Aldermen (B&W) has submitted a proposal to the City Council. On Dec. 1, the City Council will discuss the proposal. The proposal will be decided on Dec. 15.

The proposal now is to convert the Twirre site into 12 apartments:

• 6 apartments for status holders
• 6 apartments for other house seekers

The 6 apartments for the status holders make up a flow-through location where 25 status holders can live temporarily. With the realization of the other 6 apartments, we meet the broader need for housing. The participation group also indicated the importance of housing. The 12 apartments and thus the flow-through location will exist for a maximum of six years. After that, the Twirre will be demolished.

The municipality uses these 6 years to make plans and prepare them

Prior to the proposal, the Opsterland municipality investigated several possibilities for a flow-through location. At the request of residents, a participation process was initiated. Local interests and a group of residents from surrounding streets participated in four evenings and gave advice on what was important to consider for the village. The municipality then prepared the proposal to present to the municipal council.

Is there a plan B?

There is no plan B. A proposal is now before the City Council. 

Is the council also looking at another property?

No.

Are we losing parking spaces?

No.

Will there be a follow-up meeting?

 Yes, the follow-up meeting is on November 25. We also keep residents up to date through a newsletter that we send to direct neighbors of De Twirre.

Why is there no signature on letters we get?

The letters we send out regarding the study of a flow-through site are all official. Not all letters need to be adopted and signed by the Board of Mayor & Aldermen. Some letters may be sent by team refugees. However, the letters are always approved by the mayor. 

Do we know where people come from?

We don't know now where people come from. COA links people with residence permits to a municipality. We have no influence on who is linked to our municipality.

Do we influence the composition of families? 

No, we have no influence on the composition. COA pairs people with the municipality. We expect a mix of families and singles. The singles often wait until their family members can come over from the country of origin.  

How many people will live there?

In the proposal now, there is room for 25 people. The City Council will make a decision on this proposal. 

How do you ensure integration?

We will make additional efforts on integration. Status holders in the flow-through location start integration immediately. We offer language lessons and extra training aimed at integration. We will work together with local companies to help people find work as quickly as possible.

Why can't asylum seekers work like Ukrainians who came here?

Asylum seekers have been allowed to work since the end of 2023, if they have been in the Netherlands for at least 6 months. They then need a work permit and have to pay their own contribution to the reception. If a flow-through location goes ahead, it will not house asylum seekers but status holders. Status holders are always allowed to work, because they have a residence permit. 

For how many years is a flow-through site?

The proposal says 6 years.

Where will people live after transit?

The status holders are linked by COA to different municipalities in the region. By region we mean the municipality of Opsterland and neighboring municipalities. For the through-flow location in Beetsterzwaag we cooperate with Smallingerland and Weststellingwerf. These may be other municipalities at this possible flow-through location. After their stay at the flow-through location, the status holders will be assigned social housing in the municipality to which they are linked.

How are you working on security?

We always investigate the surroundings of a property as well if we want to use it. Security is part of that. Among other things, we seek advice on this from our partners such as the police and the security region. Based on this picture, we look at what is needed. The municipality remains responsible for management, supervision and livability.

How long do people stay?

We now assume one year. After that, people should be able to move into housing. Sometimes this is in the municipality of Opsterland, but people also move to our neighboring municipalities such as Smallingerland. Once someone has moved out, the empty space is filled again.

How can people move out within a year when there are no homes for us either?

If the flow-through location goes ahead, people will live there who will then move into the municipality of Opsterland or a neighboring municipality. In the municipality of Opsterland we already have occasional housing available for status holders, even without a flow-through location. In fact, a small portion of the vacant social housing units are reserved for status holders. Most of these homes are filled by other housing seekers. We believe that this number of available homes in our own municipality, plus the homes in other municipalities, is sufficient for status holders to move out of the flow-through location within a year. 

When someone leaves, does a new status holder come in?

Yes. 

What about housing for young people and other target groups?

We are building in the municipality for everyone. At www.opsterland.nl/woningbouw you will find current building plans. 

Status holders get priority for housing. Is that correct? 

Part of the social housing that becomes vacant goes to urgent target groups, which are people who are given priority for social housing. Currently, this group includes status holders. Most of the vacant social housing goes to regular house seekers.

Why are we not allowed to live in vacation homes when there is a housing shortage?

Permanent occupancy of recreational houses is not allowed by default in the Netherlands. This is because recreational houses have a different destination than regular houses. Vacation homes have the destination of recreation instead of living. In addition, recreational houses must meet certain rules and requirements to be suitable for permanent residence. A small number of recreational houses in Opsterland meet these requirements. 

Will status holders get rent protection?

If a status holder lives in a housing association house, the same rules apply as for everyone else. So also the rent protection that applies to all residents. In a flow-through location, things are different. There, there is no regular rental contract as with a housing association, but a loan agreement. There is no rent protection for such an agreement. 

Are status holders getting suitable housing or are they often given houses that are too big? 

If a status holder moves on from an AZC or any transit location to a housing association rental home, the housing association always looks at what is a good match. In doing so, they do not distinguish between status holders and other target groups. Housing associations look at how long someone has been on a waiting list and at how large a family is (or how small) and whether that fits the housing that becomes available. 

Can I file for planning damages if my home's value decreases? 

Plan damage has been called loss compensation since Jan. 1, 2024. This has changed because of the introduction of the Omgevingswet. More information on disadvantage compensation can be found at https://iplo.nl/thema/ruimtelijke-ontwikkelingen/bijzondere-onderwerpen/nadeelcompensatie

Can I object to these plans?

The City Council makes a final decision on plans to create a transit site. This cannot be objected to.

If we have to apply for a permit for the conversion, this can be objected to within a certain period of time. However, this concerns only the remodeling of the property and not the use of the site as a flow-through location. More general information about this can be found at www.opsterland.nl/bezwaar-maken. 

Another option other than objecting is to speak at a City Council meeting. More information can be found on the City Council's web page: www.opsterland.nl/gemeenteraad.