Maria Heuving (70) rents a room to a homeless person through De Regenboog Groep. The two-way conversation below with our director Hans Wijnands was taken from our quarterly magazine Meeleven. .
HW: "How did you come to rent out your room through Under De Pannen of De Regenboog Groep?"
MH: "I live alone and want someone to be in the house if something happens to me."
HW: "Did it also have a financial reason why you wanted to take someone into your home?"
MH: "It did, too. One day I got a call from the housing association. I hadn't paid my rent. I didn't know what I was hearing! I've been paying rent on the 23rd of the month for 43 years. But now my house suddenly fell under Woonstichting De Key and they want the rent on the first of the month. I suddenly had to pay three months' rent; the arrears, the month itself and the deposit for the next month. Well, I couldn't pay that. Onder de Pannen has a specific scheme (Small Debt, Big Profits, ed.) and then advanced those 1800 euros and paid them to De Key. Quite a relief, otherwise I would still be in debt now."
HW: "A complete stranger in your house. How do you like that?"
MH: "I come from a family of ten and like a little commotion in the house."
HW: "So it clicks well?"
MH: "Excellent.Ramla and I have really become friends. We drink coffee together, we eat dinner together. It has become much cozier in the house."
HW: "Do you feel that you are lucky that it clicks like that?"
MH: "Definitely. In fact, I also had a bad experience. I had put up an ad at Albert Heijn and got a divorced man of 41 in the house. He stole everything that was loose and stuck, right down to my walker. From Onder de Pannen I really like that there is control. They regularly call to ask how things are going or stop by for coffee. If I want to know something I send a quick text or Whatsapp. That gives me a familiar feeling."
HW: "Within Onder de Pannen, the rent is transferred to you through De Regenboog Groep. The reason we do this is that our landlords, people like you, should not lose out financially should the tenant unexpectedly fail to pay. How do you feel about that?"
MH: "I like that thought."
HW: "Onder de Pannen is a one-year project. Is it worth repeating?"
MH: "Oh sure. Alone is just alone."
HW: "Do you think Ramla will benefit from Onder de Pannen?"
MH: "I think so. She can tell her story with me. I also give her tips on which agencies to turn to for help. I have lived in Amsterdam since I was nineteen and know my way around. She is still a bit unaccustomed here."
HW: "Does Ramla feel at home with you?"
MH: "Definitely. She just spent a month visiting family in Egypt. When she came back, I made tea for her, she plopped down on the couch and said with a deep sigh: hey hey, I'm HOME again! I thought that was such a compliment."
Text: Nicolline van der Spek / Photography: Merlin Michon. The name Ramla is a pseudonym.