Amsterdam social housing firm to stop work with care centers after fatal stabbing

The Ymere housing association will not be renting out social housing to vulnerable tenants via care facilities in some parts of Amsterdam-Noord in the near future. The reason for this is a fatal stabbing last weekend in Hazelaarstraat involving a vulnerable tenant. The so-called "pause button" for vulnerable tenants applies to Floradorp, the Latherus, and Bloemen districts.

The housing association announced this decision at a residents' meeting that it had organized on Thursday evening because of the stabbing in the Het Anker community center. "It is a very drastic and sad incident. For the victim's relatives, the neighborhood, and also for us. We have therefore decided to press the pause button to reassure them and help them come to terms with the situation," said Ymere regional manager Walter Louman.

On Saturday morning, a 36-year-old Moroccan man was stabbed in the street, which was witnessed by several people. The victim died of his injuries in hospital on Sunday. A suspect was arrested, he had a rental property near the stabbing site through a care facility. "We have agreements with the municipality about the number of apartments we provide, which we rent out to a social organization that then makes the apartment available to a client. They are responsible for the proper supervision and maintenance of the apartment," said Louman.

According to the AD, the suspected stabber lived under the supervision of the organization HVO Querido, which supports people in vulnerable situations, in a house in Azaleastraat, just around the corner from Hazelaarstraat. He had apparently been causing trouble there for a year. This also led to the residents demanding that no new vulnerable people be housed in the neighborhood for the time being.

The suspect's apartment has since been taken back by the housing association and will be rented to a regular apartment seeker. District chairman Brahim Abid has also been informed of the decision, according to Ymere.

Amsterdam-Noord has a relatively large number of social housing units that are rented out by care institutions. "We promised the residents that we would examine this critically together with the district council. Because the pressure on Noord is relatively high," said Louman. Until this investigation has been completed, Ymere will not rent out any properties to care homes where clients live. It is not yet known how long this investigation will take.