Opsterland municipality commits to transit locations for status holders
The municipality of Opsterland is tasked with housing status holders and accommodating Ukrainian displaced persons. Due to the Spreading Act, the municipality also has the legal obligation to accommodate asylum seekers. Through a discussion paper, the Municipal Executive asked the City Council how to deal with this. Based in part on the outcome of this discussion, the council has decided to first investigate transfer locations for status holders and the possibility of quick housing solutions.
Flow-through sites
A transit location is a location where status holders, i.e. people with a residence permit, stay temporarily until regular housing is available for them in the region. Status holders now often stay in an asylum seekers' center for a long time because there is a shortage in the housing market. If status holders can live temporarily in a flow-through location, then reception places become available again in asylum seekers' centers in the Netherlands. Through-flow locations thus relieve asylum seekers' centers in the Netherlands. In this way, the municipality wants to contribute to a solution to the asylum issue.
Another aspect of flow-through locations is that from there, status holders can also begin their integration and contribute socially by being able to work, for example.
The municipality is going to explore the possibility of flow-through locations in Ureterp, Gorredijk and Beetsterzwaag. In Beetsterzwaag, the municipality is already going to explore a concrete location, namely care location Ikenhiem of ZuidOostZorg. Due to the new construction of ZuidOostZorg, the current Ikenhiem will become vacant. Local residents have been informed by letter. In Gorredijk and Ureterp there is no concrete location yet.
Quick housing solutions
Furthermore, the Opsterland municipality is going to investigate the possibility of quick housing solutions in all villages in the municipality. These are homes that can be built more quickly and are suitable for a broader group of urgent housing seekers.
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