This morning, I heard on the radio the statement of alderman
Henk Mulder of the Dutch city Almere, that the Stimulus Arrangement for Public
Housing was a big success in our city. And that his €7 million piggy bank, reserved
for this arrangement, had been emptied within a year.
And I didn’t understand it…
I heard him say that starters on the housing market in
Almere, who otherwise would be forced to rent a house or – pity them – to live
with their parents a little while longer, were now able to buy a house anyway. Due
to a 3 year amortization and interest free loan, to the tune of 20% of the
mortgage amount. And that 240 households had been aided with this plan.
And I didn’t understand it…
Subsequently, I heard Mulder say that – now the first piggy
bank was emptied– Almere wanted to create a second piggy bank: both Minister of
Public Housing Stef Blok and the city Almere would have to add €5 million to it,
totalling it to €10 million for a new Stimulus Arrangement for Public Housing.
This would enable the arrangement to resume its beneficial work for the finally
accelerating Dutch housing market, particularly in Almere.
And I didn’t understand it…
Ultimately, I heard Henk Mulder say that the A6 highway
would go underground within 8 years – or at least would be lowered – as Almere
is going to host the 2022 Floriade, the massive Global Exhibition for Agriculture.
And I didn’t understand it…
And I thought about the wonderful primary school of my children
in Almere and that this school had to sell the building, belonging to the day
nursery, because it needed the money. The day nursery itself would be hosted in
the already overcrowded school building.
And I didn’t understand it…
And I pondered that the classes of my children would be
merged with classes of other age groups. And that several, wonderful teachers
and class assistants had been fired, causing some classes to grow to thirty
children next year. And that some children could not participate in their
school trips, because their parents could not or did not want to pay their
voluntary contribution for the school and the school itself could not afford it
either.
And I didn’t understand it…
And I contemplated that Almere has – by far – the weakest
schools in The Netherlands. And also that the school of my children – which is actually
not weak yet – was forced to hire up to nine replacement teachers and
assistants to finish the current school year for a certain class. And eight replacement
teachers for another class.
And that some parents were leaving this wonderful school, as
their children were ‘shell-shocked’ from all these replacement teachers, which
were not allowed to stay after their stint had finished. As there was no money
for it.
And I didn’t understand it…
Finally, I considered that every euro of community money,
invested in a primary school kid, will be earned back three times in average. However,
locking up community money in houses and superfluous(!) infrastructure, only
yields ‘dead money’ and a little bit of work for construction companies and
furniture boulevards. And I wondered, if it is really such a shame to live with
mom and dad a few years longer, or to rent a house and save the money for the future
downpayment on a house?!
And I still didn’t understand it…
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