Zin in gemeenschap? Samenwonen in Amsterdam

Buying a home is practically unattainable for first-time buyers, and there are too few affordable rental properties. And once you have a home, you often live separately. Neighbors no longer know each other's names. The front door opens and closes, and we carry on with our own lives. But what if there was another way? More and more Amsterdammers are building residential communities together. In existing apartments, but also on self-build plots made available by the municipality. Residents not only share a building but also the responsibility to care for each other and share communal spaces. But how do you do this, and does it actually work in practice? Leo and his wife Ans live in Osdorp. They are currently setting up their own residential community. After a television report about a senior apartment building in Rotterdam, where residents took matters into their own hands to better organize care and welfare, Ans and Leo realized they wanted this too, but in Amsterdam. Ans and Leo got stuck in and didn't let go until it was all arranged: a single care provider within the building itself and many more shared activities. That demands a lot from a seniors' apartment. There has to be a good balance between caregivers and care recipients. Students help seniors at night About 85 seniors currently live here. There's a dedicated care team available 24/7, including a longevity home coach. They also organize shared activities, such as a festival in the summer. Soon, 21 students will be living on the third floor. They organize activities for a fee and take on part of the caregiving duties every few weeks: they're on call if someone falls out of bed, for example, and help if needed, or they call in professional care. The idea is simple: organize more care within the complex, so residents can continue living independently for longer. Young families who want to stay in Amsterdam are also increasingly forming communities to build together for affordability and a pleasant atmosphere. A good example is the CPO project Bakstayn in IJburg. Residents developed the building entirely themselves. Everyone has their own apartment, but much is shared: a communal area for the children and a garden with a sauna. Those who have visitors from afar can even book the guest room. "It's affordable because you develop it yourself," says Lucia Souna, initiator of CPO Bakstayn. There's no profit margin. Nevertheless, the process takes a lot of time in addition to a full-time job. "Don't underestimate that," says Lucia. "But it's really worth it." The municipality makes land available not only to groups of buyers who want to build themselves, but also to groups of tenants in the social sector. De Nieuwe Meent in Amsterdam East is the first housing cooperative consisting entirely of social housing. De Nieuwe Meent's bylaws stipulate that 80% of the residents must come from Black communities or from communities with mobility challenges. Despite pressure on the housing market and the time it takes residents to find good fellow residents, they actively ensure that it doesn't become a white bastion. "We live with a history, we live in a world that is currently very oppressive to others. We are aware of this, and we are truly trying to change that." A Housing Solution for the Future Residential communities are not an experiment. It is a major search for a different housing model in an overheated city like Amsterdam. This could be a housing solution we might see more often in the near future. Making this a success requires organizational skills, perseverance, financial courage, and above all, resident involvement. Only then is the chance of a successful residential community high.