Take the plunge..

Sometimes it takes a great stock of courage to get projects in a network city going. In the Millinx neighbourhood in Rotterdam – a troubled urban neighbourhood with many problems concerning drugs and crime – they decided to tackle the problems rigorously. To this effect residents, the community, and a housing corporation employed different methods.
 

“Beautify Millinx”

The Millinx neighbourhood is situated in the southern part of Rotterdam. It is a distressed neighbourhood that is obviously affected by the typical big-city problems. Residents are moving away and rack-renters purchase the buildings, only to let them out at high prices to unskilled immigrants.

Over three years ago a neighbourhood improvement project was launched, in order to turn the tide. Various groups have combined their efforts so as to turn Millinx into a pleasant, vital neighbourhood. As part of the “Beautify Millinx” neighbourhood improvement project house owners (in particular the rack-renters) are summoned to deal with back repairs. Under pressure many proprietors decide to compromise and sell their building to the corporation. In this manner the housing corporation ‘De Nieuwe Unie’ has purchased and renovated about 300 accommodations during the past year. Following the renovation a distinction between cheap apartments for sale, (cheap) rental accommodations and more expensive single-family houses will be made.
 

Neighbourhood soap: the residents are the actors

Ample attention is given to the social aspects as well. Neighbourhood festivities occur on a regular basis in Millinx. The various cultures that reside in the neighbourhood play an important role in these festivities. The residents even have their own neighbourhood soap in which difficult problems are made the subject of discussion. In this soap themes such as pointless neighbourhood meetings, unlawful police actions, residents who are moving away from Millinx, and of course love are discussed.

The Millinx soap is unique because the residents are the actors. They stage a new episode every two months. The most recent subject of the neighbourhood soap was the statue that the neighbourhood had received as a gift from the borough council, but that had been stolen even before it could be unveiled.
 

Millinx money: saving money for the neighbourhood as a community

In order to improve their living environment, residents can participate in saving money. This is done with so-called “Millinx money”: a kind of monopoly money. The municipality has provided an amount of money with which the Millinx Money participants are reimbursed. Residents of the Millinx neighbourhood can save money as a community by participating in activities. In doing so they can contribute to the realisation of projects for the neighbourhood.
 

Street sweepers

Since a few years street sweepers from a temping agency for drug addicts keep the Millinx neighbourhood extra clean. These temps sweep, clean up illicitly-deposited household garbage, and clear out inner courts. Residents feel safer when they see junkies walk around in recognizable clothing provided by the temping agency.
 

Dordtselaan

Dordtselaan cuts straight across Rotterdam South. The illegal letting out of rooms lies at the root of all the problems in this street. The objective of ‘De Nieuwe Unie’ is to make this practice less attractive in this street. It is not easy to take legal action against the malafide landlords within the Netherlands, due to inadequate legislation and regulations. The Building Control Department does not have the jurisdiction that is required to take action against malafide landlord.

In the framework of the Dordtselaan neighbourhood improvement proprietors are summoned to deal with back repairs. It works too! Recently, a major proprietor and lodging-house keeper who was pressured by the high expenses that would be required in order to realize home improvements sold one hundred and twenty apartments in the Dordtselaan to a cooperative body of the housing corporation ‘De Nieuwe Unie’ and developers of Bouwfonds (the Building Fund) and Amstelland Ontwikkeling (Amstelland Development).

 

Hotel-house: a house and a hotel in one!

The Rotterdam hotel-house combines the personal comfort of one’s own house with the hospitality and facilities of a hotel and, therefore, it is a unique facility that provides temporary housing accommodations for people who are in need of such, for various reasons.

Through the Rotterdam hotel-house concept the housing corporation “De Nieuwe Unie” meets the various target groups’ growing demand for temporary, affordable housing in the city. When a person does not have housing accommodation for a particular period of time, due to personal reasons such as a renovation or a divorce, this person can go to the hotel-house after he/she has received a referral from a social (welfare) organisation or from the housing corporations. On a contract basis organisations and companies can also utilize the hotel-house facilities temporarily for the benefit of their employees, students, or their clients. In setting the rent the income of the social target groups is taken into account. In this manner even people on a low budget can move into the Rotterdam hotel-house.
 

Three-star- plus level

The 210 single and double apartments are spacious, at least 26 tot 50 m², and are fitted out with all modern conveniences: a fully equipped kitchen with luxury equipment, a separate lavatory, a bathroom with a shower (some with a bathtub as well), a television, and a safe.
 

Apartments and facilities boast a three-star-plus level, such as a customer-oriented reception desk team, a cosy lobby with breakfast facilities, meals and beverages, a wash and iron service, a cleaning service, and office facilities. A nice diner, a nursery, care provision facilities, and sport and fitness facilities will be set up in the complex as well. A parking garage is situated underneath the building.

At the end of 2004 the Rotterdam hotel-house will be open to the public.