Rochdale hires private guards to tackle crack nuisance in Zuidoost
Housing corporation Rochdale says it is paying about €110,000 for security at flats in the H-Buurt in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, and that keeping public order is not its job.
Housing corporation Rochdale has recently hired private security guards to tackle nuisance from crack users in the H-Buurt in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. Rochdale and the Zuidoost district both confirm this.
A Rochdale spokesperson says the corporation hired the guards itself because its tenants suffer serious nuisance and cannot enjoy their homes in peace. "We hope this can give some comfort," the spokesperson says. The guards cost about €110,000, according to Rochdale.
In principle, the guards are a solution for the next six months, the spokesperson says. The spokesperson calls it an expensive measure that the corporation has to pay for, even though the problem was in effect pushed onto it. "We at Rochdale are responsible for housing, not for public order," the spokesperson says.
Rochdale says it is in talks with the municipality and central government about a structural solution.
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Rochdale
Rochdale is a housing corporation (woningcorporatie) in Amsterdam that owns and rents out social rental homes, including in the Amsterdam-Zuidoost district. Housing corporations in the Netherlands manage their buildings and the immediate residential environment, and they are responsible for the upkeep and liveability of those properties.
H-Buurt
The H-Buurt is a residential neighbourhood in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, the southeastern district of Amsterdam, and part of the Bijlmer area. It has apartment blocks and public spaces that are owned and managed by several parties, including housing corporations and the municipality.