In the municipality of Schagen, a location has been put into use to accommodate approximately 330 migrant workers. The festive opening took place on Thursday, September 19, by deputy J. Beemsterboer and alderman S. Kruijer. HomeFlex director Bert Verheij stated that this marks another step towards quality housing for migrant workers in the Schagen area.
The location consists of 96 apartments with individual bedrooms, parking facilities, and bicycle storage. Each apartment is fully furnished with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and separate toilet. One of the apartments is set up as a manager’s office.
24/7 Management
HomeFlex considers it important that there is always a point of contact present at the location, both for residents and neighbors. A team of managers takes turns ensuring that someone is present at the location 24/7. They also ensure that the location remains tidy and that the apartments are regularly checked for safety and hygiene.
Community Dialogue
During the preparation of this location, intensive discussions were held with local residents. After the information evening in February 2022, the conversation continued with a sounding board group representing both residents and surrounding businesses. During several meetings, plans and potential issues were discussed, and a management plan was drawn up documenting the agreements made.
Innovative Semi-Off Grid Installation
In the run-up to the construction phase, it became apparent that only one power connection was available for this location. HomeFlex had to find a solution to provide power and heat to 96 apartments. Together with Schouten Techniek, a smart grid installation was realized with intelligent control of ground and air source heat pumps in combination with solar panels, combined heat and power units, and electric and thermal buffers. This has created a sustainable solution and addressed the grid congestion issue we face in the Netherlands. The entire project was realized with the cooperation of Ursem Modulaire Bouwsystemen, Heddes Bouw en Ontwikkeling, van Es architecten, AW Groep, and Holland Bouwadvies.
Roemer Proof
With the opening of this location, another step has been taken to improve the quality of housing for migrant workers in the Netherlands. This location meets the SNF (Stichting Normering Flexwonen) quality mark standards and also incorporates Roemer’s recommendations regarding sufficient living space and a private bedroom for each resident. For HomeFlex, this is now the sixth large-scale location that meets these quality requirements. Several more locations are in preparation to be put into use in the coming years.