From assisted living to family shelters: working visits for new council members
Delen
The Amsterdam Shelter Platform (POA) is organizing six field visits this fall for Amsterdam city council members and committee members. During these visits, participants will gain insight into the day-to-day realities of homelessness, shelter services, supported housing, and counseling.
De Regenboog Groep is part of the POA, and council members will also get a look at the Regenboog facility De Buitenhof, a residential facility for people experiencing economic homelessness.
The homeless people behind the numbers
The challenges surrounding homelessness and shelter are significant. Behind the statistics and policy documents lie people, stories, and complex social issues. That is why the POA invites council members to meet the organizations, professionals, and residents who deal with these issues on a daily basis.
Six themes from the field of shelter and support
Between mid-September and early October, council members will visit various locations throughout the city. Each working visit will focus on a current theme within the field of shelter and support:
- Sheltered Housing and Mental Health Vulnerability
- People Experiencing Economic Homelessness
- Supported Living and “Housing First”
- Young adults
- Day and night shelters
- Families: emergency shelter and Protected Housing
During the visits, council members engage in discussions with care providers, staff, and clients. This allows them to gain insight into issues such as long waiting lists for protected housing, the growing population of economically homeless people, transitioning out of shelter, and appropriate support for vulnerable youth and families.
POA is working together to find solutions
The POA is a partnership of organizations dedicated to helping people who are homeless, living in sheltered housing, receiving support, or in need of temporary shelter. By introducing city council members to the realities on the ground, the platform hopes to foster a better understanding of both the challenges and the solutions needed to offer people a sense of hope.
Through these field visits, we demonstrate what support looks like in daily life and what decisions are needed to make shelter and support services in Amsterdam future-proof.
The field visits are organized by the Platform Opvang Amsterdam (POA). In addition to De Regenboog Groep, the Salvation Army, HVO-Querido, perMens, Timon, Cordaan, and Philadelphia are part of the POA.