Safe housing plans for people with disturbed behavior obstructed by locals' objections
Many municipalities want to implement Skaeve Huse projects - simple housing on the outskirts of a town intended for people with disturbed behavior - but are struggling to get it off the ground due to resistance from locals. The Danish housing model intended for people who cause serious problems in regular neighborhoods, for example, due to addiction or hoarding, has been shown to bring peace to both the residents and their neighbors, Nieuwsuur reports.
Skaeve Huse literally translates to “Crooked Houses.” They are simple homes located in low-stimulus areas, away from other homes, with daytime supervision by a caretaker. The Netherlands launched Skaeve Huse in 2005, but since then, only about 100 of these homes have been built.
That while 1,000 were already needed in 2005, Ruth Peetom of the mental healthcare institute GGZ told the program. “At this rate, it will take another 180 years before there are enough houses, and we can’t afford that,” she said. “The ‘not in my backyard’ mentality is very strong, while these homes often offer a solution to problems in the neighborhood.”
People who live in these homes were often evicted multiple times due to nuisance, with some ending up on the street. The Skaeve Huse offer them peace and stability, Ingrid Verkerk of Tussenvoorziening, an organization involved in seven of these homes in Utrecht Leidsche Rijn, told Nieuwsuur. “And besides, we’re solving a problem in the neighborhoods.”
A 2010 evaluation showed that social workers, housing corporations, and municipalities were positive about Skaeve Huse experiments. The low-stimulus environment of the homes improved residents’ behavior, and there was minimal disruption to neighbors. The project was generally considered to be a high-potential solution for the growing number of people with disturbed behavior struggling to cope in regular neighborhoods.
Nieuwsuur surveyed the Dutch municipalities and found that at least 23 have plans to install Skaeve Huse. But in almost two-thirds of those municipalities, resistance from locals has stalled the project.
In Amersfoort, for example, the municipality wants to place Skaeve Huse on a grassy field just outside the Vathorst neighborhood. The site forms part of a recreational area. The residents’ association Belang van Vathorst is trying to stop this from happening. Chair Jacco de Feijter said that he is “not that worried” himself, “but this is really about the area. This is a very natural area.”
A local mom said she worried about her children’s safety at the nearby playground. “That something might happen to them if someone with psychosis is on the street and is high on drugs.”
Amersfoort alderman Jeroen Bulthuis said that safety is paramount in this project. “We look very critically at which people will live here,” he told the program. But the residents’ association is not reassured. “Fortunately, things often go well, and we understand the municipality wants to do something for these people,” De Feijter told Nieuewsuur. “But when things go wrong, they can really go wrong.”
