Housing refugees

On this page you will find information on how the municipality of Opsterland plans to deal with the Spreading Act, housing for status holders and accommodation for Ukrainian displaced persons. You will also find contact information for if you have questions about this topic. 

In Opsterland, we are tasked with housing status holders and hosting Ukrainian displaced persons. Because of the Spreading Act, we have also received the request to accommodate asylum seekers. The college of B&W asked the city council through a discussion paper how to deal with this. Partly based on the outcome of this discussion, the council has decided to first investigate flow-through locations for status holders and the possibility of quick housing solutions.

What are flow-through sites for status holders? 

Transitional housing locations are residential locations for status holders. Status holders are people who already have a residence permit and are therefore allowed to stay in the Netherlands. This means they are allowed to move from an asylum seekers' center to a home. However, there is currently a shortage of housing. As a result, status holders continue to live in asylum seekers' centers, which do not always have room to accommodate new refugees. This leads to the well-known problems that are regularly in the national news.  The municipality wants to relieve the pressure on asylum seekers' centers by creating a transit location. Status holders will then be given a temporary place to live in Opsterland and will subsequently move on to a home in the region. 

Commit to appropriate housing solutions

The municipality is constantly looking at opportunities to provide additional housing. This way different groups of residents can find a suitable place sooner. We focus primarily on sustainable and permanent housing in our villages. This ensures a future-proof housing supply.

More information about the housing task is on the housing dashboard. Here you will find an up-to-date overview of housing construction in our municipality.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be a COA AZC in Opsterland?

The Opsterland municipality is committed to flow-through locations and quick housing solutions. We are currently focusing on the villages of Beetsterzwaag, Ureterp and Gorredijk. The municipality and also the city council prefer small-scale solutions in the first instance for status holders. We also seek the solution therefore in several small locations instead of 1 larger location. 

A flow-through site is temporary, how long is it?

A flow-through site for status holders is a temporary solution. After all, status holders are entitled to social housing. There are currently not enough of those in the municipality. That is why it is a temporary housing location. The definitive location, a home in the regular housing market in the region, will follow at a later date. We cannot say exactly how long temporary is. 

In which villages will the municipality continue to explore?

We will explore flow-through locations in Beetsterzwaag, Ureterp and Gorredijk. In Beetsterzwaag we are going to convert Ikenhiem into a flow-through location. In Ureterp we are currently investigating a concrete location. In Gorredijk we are not yet exploring a concrete location. At this time we are not yet exploring in other villages.

Flow-through sites are for status holders. What about shelters for Ukrainians and other refugees?

We already host Ukrainians in the municipality and we continue to do so, for example in the Tsjerne in Gorredijk. Apartments were recently completed there for 40 Ukrainian displaced persons. When these apartments are no longer needed for Ukrainians, the apartments will be suitable for other housing seekers. 

Smallingerland municipality will house Ukrainian displaced persons in former Woodbrookers site. How will the Opsterland municipality deal with this?

A shelter for Ukrainian refugees is closing in the municipality of Smallingerland. These residents are moving to the Woodbrookers location in Kortehemmen. It concerns about 200 people.

The reception, Health and guidance of Ukrainians at this location is provided by the Municipality of Smallingerland. Therefore, for questions and more information, please contact the Municipality of Smallingerland: www.smallingerland.nl.

If you do have questions about this that are relevant to the Opsterland Municipality and the village of Beetsterzwaag, please contact us at huisvestingvluchtelingen@opsterland.nl. 

Flow-through location Oosterwolde

In Oosterwolde (municipality of Ooststellingwerf) there is a transit location and FryslânDoc made a documentary about it. You can watch this documentary back via the button below.

Watch documentary 

Infographic housing refugees

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Do you have any questions?

You can submit your questions on this topic? Please send your message to huisvestingvluchtelingen@opsterland.nl.

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