Because of the housing shortage in the Netherlands, many people can’t find a home. One group of people especially hit by this shortage are the refugees with residence permits. They are often stuck in asylum centres, which creates an overwhelming pressure on these centres and keeps the refugees from moving forward with their lives. The Thuisgevers, or The Homegivers, offers an alternative solution. They provide refugees with temporary housing in unused buildings like schools and parishes. They give them a home and social support, to help them make the first steps into a normal life in the Netherlands.  

Joke Suitela works and volunteers at The Thuisgevers. She is a buddy to Ali, helping him integrate into the Dutch society. Ali is a 28-year-old student from Syria. He used to study archeology, before leaving for the Netherlands. Now, he is studying the Dutch language while working parttime jobs. He is planning to go to university again, but in a different field of study. This time, he will try out IT: “I feel like this is more useful in the Netherlands than archeology.”

In this report, Joke Suitela and Ali talk about the Thuisgevers, the impact such an organization can have on peoples lives and the way they work.