Dutch housing associations and the integration of refugees

Social housing associations and the NGO Vluchtelingenwerk are assisting refugees with a residence status and a dwelling, to integrate as soon as possible in their community.

Volunteers - recruited among others among employees of the social housing corporations - will inform these new tenants about their rights and obligations related to housing.

The partnership aims to assist refugees with finding their way around, to support them at neighbourhood level as well as to show them how to use their new home properly. The work is carried out in close collaboration with the district managers of the social housing corporations.

The sooner people are aware of how things work in the Dutch society, the faster people will feel here 'at home' believe the representatives of the Amsterdam federation of social housing providers, a member of Aedes, the Dutch Housing Europe member organisation. 

The housing corporations fund the coordination and professional support of the project. Eventually a total of 70 volunteers will be involved, coordinated by the NGO Vluchtelingenwerk. The municipality of Amsterdam will also take over part of the costs.