Come and join the protest against social housing sell out at Passeerdersgracht 26

• Date: Saturday, September 24th
• Time: 15:00
• Location: Passeerdersgracht 26, Amsterdam

More info on our website (Dutch).

Weekly flash mobs against social housing sell outs and demolitions

Why?

The major housing corporations in Amsterdam have sold out tens of thousands of social housing dwellings to the housing market over the past 25 years. This while the demand for social housing never ceased to increase. Housing corporations say they need this money to build new social housing. Instead the money ends up in:

• exaggerated salaries and pension schemes for the top executives
• money squandering and inefficient work organizations
• speculation and investment frenzies that have nothing to do with social housing
• way less, smaller, and more expensive temporary contract dwellings
• expensive private sector rental homes that are beyond the financial reach of most social housing tenants

Less affordable housing means more people forced to find more expensive housing or even forced to leave the city. This means that people with socially important professions (teachers, nurses, firemen, etc.) will disappear from Amsterdam, creating a decreasing availability of socially relevant services to the inhabitants of the city.

Furthermore, the displacement and departure of low- and middle income citizens, has a negative effect on the diversified composition of the population in areas of the city and the city as a whole: social economic cleansing and gentrification.

When?

Every Saturday at 3 PM action group Niet Te Koop (English: not for sale) organises a flash mob against the sell out of a rent-protected social house in Amsterdam.

How?

The flash mob lasts about half an hour and includes:

1. handing out leaflets in the neighbourhood and engage in discussions with local residents and passers-by
2. wallpapering the house at hand
3. making recordings for publicity's sake

Action group Niet Te Koop provides banners, posters, and such. Of course you can bring your own material.

The location is announced the day before (or earlier), also through:

• our website www.niettekoop.org (Dutch)
• the HuurdersBelangZuid newsletter (Dutch)

Come and join the protest for preservation of affordable social housing!