Most homeless people you don't recognize on the street. They are neatly dressed and behave no differently from the masses. They are simply on their way to work or their place to sleep. Outdoor sleepers make up only a small proportion of Amsterdam's homeless. De Regenboog Groep estimates their number atover 700. The clichés often betray them. A pile of blankets in a porch, looking for deposits in a garbage can or noticeably in a completely different dimension than the others around you. Then you suspect suffering in the other person. You notice an uneasy feeling in yourself. You want to do something. But what?
1) See and listen
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Don't let the discomfort you feel cause you to look away or ignore the homeless person. That is a symbolic declaration of death that if repeated will hurt. Therefore, greet your fellow man. And if you feel like it enter into a conversation. The time and attention you give to someone is more valuable than you probably think.
2) Ask for needs
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Someone can tell best for themselves where their needs lie. You can break the ice by asking about that. Don't want to arrive empty-handed? Then you can offer something to drink in hot weather. Is it wet or cold? Then dry and warm clothes and a sleeping bag might be nice.
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3) Refer to professional help
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For help, homeless people in Amsterdam can turn to social workers. Visiting a De Regenboog Groep walk-in centre is a good start. Social workers specialized in homelessness work there. They listen very well and give practical help. You can find the addresses of Regenboog walk-in centres and all other facilities for the homeless in Amsterdam in the special homelessness app Streetlife.
4) Become a volunteer or donor
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Want to do more? Then become a volunteer with De Regenboog Groep. Then you will work in one of our walk-in centres or as a buddy. As a buddy you will meet with a resident of Amsterdam who has few or no people to fall back on, for example after a period of homelessness or psychological problems. If you don't have the time, you can also support our work with a donation. In the form of money or good, warm clothing, for example.
5) Support the most vulnerable
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Maybe you and your network can do something to make Amsterdam more social. Sometimes it is possible from your work to do something against homelessness. De Regenboog Groep welcomes collaborations with e.g. the real estate industry, the food trade, the clothing sector, politicians, policy makers and many more. We work with them to solve first needs and make structural changes for the benefit of vulnerable city residents.
You are experiencing nuisance
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You may also simply be bothered by the behavior of someone who is homeless. Are you having trouble making your complaint clear to the homeless person themselves? Then you can report to the Meldpunt Zorg en Overlast of the GGD in Amsterdam
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About 2,000 Amsterdam residents sleep in non-conventional places to live, such as car, squat, vacation home.
You don't see it until you see it
In Amsterdam, an estimated 17,000 people are homeless. Most of them you don't recognize as homeless, and they probably don't call themselves homeless. But you do run into them, if you pay attention. Your colleague staying with her sister, a friend finding temporary shelter in a trailer, a parent from school sleeping in their company van. They are probably experiencing a lot of stress about their living situation. Want to give them a helping hand? Talk to them and refer them to De Regenboog Groep's Support Point for the Economically Homeless. There, social workers can help them gain an overview and peace of mind and work with them to find viable solutions to their housing problem.