If the CBS figures are to be believed, the number of homeless people in the Netherlands has declined over the past year. These figures would show that 26,600 people between the ages of 18 and 65 were homeless in 2022, down from 32,000 a year earlier.
The waiting lists for counseling and temporary housing for economically homeless people (people with mainly housing problems) continue to grow and our drop-in centers are structurally full. De Regenboog is therefore pleased that Amsterdam is choosing to do precisely more, as established last week by the City Council in the Strengthening the Approach to Homelessness: Additional drop-in centers and additional temporary housing and shelter for various groups that are homeless.
We fully support the Secretary of State's goal of eliminating homelessness by 2030, but this requires the right numbers as a starting point.
For accurate numbers, the Ethos Light count was created. A pilot with this methodology was recently completed in Den Bosch and Oss, conducted by the Hogeschool Utrecht.
This counting method is more accurate than that of CBS, they argue:
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"The CBS count leaves many homeless people out of the picture. With a broader definition of homelessness, we gain insight into the real situation."
De Regenboog Groep, like other organizations involved, advocates the wider application of this methodology, including in Amsterdam.