Femke Halsema has been mayor of Amsterdam since July 12, 2018. On the occasion of our 50th anniversary, she talks about what De Regenboog Groep means to the city. And what are her concerns and dreams?
How would you characterize the work of De Regenboog Groep?
"In many different areas, the work of De Regenboog Groep has been valuable over the past 50 years. As a municipality, we would prefer to lend a helping hand to everyone who needs it, but that is not always possible. That Amsterdam can count on an organization like De Regenboog Groep, which offers help to people who have had to flee, or are struggling with poverty, addiction, psychiatric problems or homelessness, among others, is fantastic.
The difference De Regenboog Groep makes is mainly in the way it provides help. Help does not mean that people are briefly offered financial resources and then left to fend for themselves again. Since its inception, people in need of help at De Regenboog Groep have been encouraged to rebuild their own lives and take control of that life, by offering them work and shelter, for example. This respectful and constructive way of providing help not only makes a difference for the future of these individuals, but for fifty years through thousands of them for the city as a whole. I sincerely hope that we can continue to count on this for the next fifty years."
It is estimated that there are 17,000 homeless people in Amsterdam. What would you like to say about that?
"We as a college are concerned about the growing homelessness in the Netherlands. The major problem is the shortage of housing in the country. A safe roof over one's head is one of the most important necessities of life for a human being, as you know only too well. Yet we see the number of homeless people in our cities increasing sharply, and we can no longer manage to organize shelter for all these people.
Fortunately, last year the City Council decided to invest more in homelessness. A total of 62 million euros was invested. Like De Regenboog Groep, as a municipality we are also trying to address the problem by improving the total of issues homeless people face, such as care, work, a social network and shelter. In doing so, we work with neighborhood teams and care providers, among others, to not only help homeless people get back into housing, but also to prevent people from becoming homeless again.
Together with De Regenboog Groep, we are also working on winter shelter. Together, we can now offer up to 500 additional shelters in the winter in Amsterdam for homeless people who have been staying in the Amsterdam region for some time. With extra attention for economically homeless, lhbtiq+ persons, families, young adults, vulnerable undocumented and homeless EU citizens, sometimes at separate shelters. In the winter shelter we as a municipality not only work together with De Regenboog Groep, but also with Veldwerk, HVO-Querido, the Salvation Army and the Straatalliantie."
Femke Halsema visits the winter shelter | Photographer Peter Kempers
What concerns do you have for the next 50 years?
"The issues discussed such as loneliness, the reception of refugees and homelessness are topics that deserve extra attention in the coming years. My expectation is that even fifty years from now the useful work of De Regenboog Groep will still be needed. However, I do hope that, thanks in part to your work, we will look at these problems with a more relaxed heart by then than we do now.
Outside Amsterdam, in Palestine and Israel, for example, or in Ukraine, wars are raging that have a lot of impact on our city. Amsterdam has traditionally been a city with an international character. As a result, even now you notice that these wars are felt in the city. That worries me in particular. But I draw hope from our city. Amsterdam's history has not always been rosy, but stubborn and resilient the city has often proved to be. Fifty years from now, when the city celebrates its 800th anniversary, there will undoubtedly still be much that could be better. Then there will be new issues to solve. But I trust that even then Amsterdam will still be proudly Amsterdam."
What are your dreams for Amsterdam for the next fifty years?
"I think it is important that we remain a prosperous city and continue to reduce our social and societal disparities. Right now, too many people are left out and poverty, loneliness and homelessness are too high. It is precisely for those people that De Regenboog Groep is so important and I sincerely hope that you will continue to work for this for the next fifty years.
I hope that in fifty years Amsterdam will be a city where people can build a life in freedom, where there is sufficient housing and where the differences between Amsterdam's districts have become smaller. I also hope that Amsterdam will still be a city of free thinkers. I enjoy Amsterdam as a place that is a collection of diverse, imaginative, and crazy people, who, despite those differences, keep talking to each other. A city where we help each other move forward. Precisely in that, as far as I'm concerned, all Amsterdam residents can take De Regenboog Groep as a shining example."