Context
Across the Netherlands, municipalities have faced a structural shortage of affordable housing for several years, including for recognised refugees. Limited housing availability and complex procedures have made timely housing solutions difficult, resulting in prolonged stays in reception facilities and pressure on municipal capacity. In early 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, demand for emergency housing increased further. Municipalities, including Kampen, were required to accommodate additional refugees within a short time frame. This highlighted the limited flexibility of existing housing systems, while various forms of social and public real estate remained temporarily unused. De Thuisgevers was established through a collaboration between the Municipality of Kampen, the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (Protestantse Kerk in Nederland – PKN) and the national government. The initiative focused on the temporary use of unused buildings to house status holders, supported by local volunteers. National funding schemes, including the Hotel and Accommodation Regulation and later the Through-Flow Location Scheme (doorstroomlocaties – DSL), enabled implementation and covered transformation costs. What started as a local initiative has since developed into a platform supporting municipalities across the Netherlands. Based on experience with temporary housing, De Thuisgevers expanded its activities through the programme Ongeziene Woonmogelijkheden (OWM), focusing on identifying additional opportunities for flexible and transformable housing.
Objectives
The project aims to support municipalities in realising timely and workable housing solutions for recognised refugees within the context of a persistent housing shortage. Many municipalities face limited capacity, complex procedures, and difficulty translating national funding schemes into concrete housing projects. A primary objective is to accelerate access to temporary housing by making practical use of unused social and public real estate. De Thuisgevers supports municipalities in identifying suitable buildings, assessing feasibility, and applying national funding instruments such as the Hotel and Accommodation Regulation and the DSL. This enables municipalities to move more quickly from exploration to implementation. In addition, the project aims to ensure that housing solutions are socially embedded. By involving local volunteers and community partners, residents receive practical support and housing projects are better integrated into their surroundings. Building on experience with temporary housing, the objectives have expanded to include identifying additional and less visible housing opportunities through the programme Ongeziene Woonmogelijkheden (OWM). This approach focuses on locating transformable sites and flexible housing options that fall outside regular planning processes. Across all activities, the project seeks to balance speed, feasibility, and social acceptance, while remaining applicable across different municipal contexts.
Implementation
The project is implemented as a collaborative public–societal initiative involving municipalities, locals, and public organisations. De Thuisgevers functions as a coordinating platform responsible for programme coordination and operational support, and financial and administrative processes are hosted by the Municipality of Kampen. Activities are carried out by a flexible pool of independent professionals with expertise in housing, spatial planning, finance, and social support; staff deployment is adjusted to the scale and phase of municipal projects.
The national funding schemes are used to finance housing costs and necessary transformations. Implementation typically starts with proactive outreach by De Thuisgevers to municipalities facing delays in meeting housing targets, as well as with requests from municipalities seeking support. This is followed by an assessment of available buildings or locations and applicable funding options. De Thuisgevers supports coordination between municipal departments, property owners, and community partners. Stakeholder consultation takes place throughout the process, including communication with local residents where appropriate. The programme Ongeziene Woonmogelijkheden (OWM) complements this approach by identifying additional housing opportunities through data-informed analysis and local expertise. Progress is monitored through outputs such as supported municipalities, realised housing locations, and housed recognised refugees. Feedback from partners is used to adjust implementation to local conditions.