Header photo: Welmoed Jonker
Foundations for the future
At any given time, 350,000 young people in the Netherlands are growing up in unstable home environments. This difficult start in life leaves many fending for themselves too soon, facing a host of problems, with no social safety net or support from family members. They risk leaving school too early, getting into debt, even ending up homeless. Het Bouwdepot offers some of these young people breathing space by providing them with financial support for a year. The resulting peace of mind and trust give them a chance to get their lives on track. The VriendenLoterij Fonds has supported the project since 2020.
Alone without a safety net
Reaching the age of 18 isn’t a reason to celebrate for everyone. For young people in care, it means they stop receiving assistance. For a variety of reasons, some can’t return home, go to school or earn an income. All that’s left is a welfare benefit of €360 a month maximum. Their parents are often absent or unable to contribute financially. Overnight, these young adults have to stand on their own two feet, on a ground made of quicksand. Only from age 21 are they potentially eligible to receive regular benefits. By then, they’re often in greater difficulty, for example due to complex debts.
Trust and autonomy as a starting point
Marleen van der Kolk of Stichting Zwerfjongeren Nederland, a foundation working to prevent youth homelessness, sees many young people fall through the cracks once they leave care. Many national interest groups focus on providing safe, affordable accommodation, which is vital – but how do you afford it without money? And what do young people say they need most? Seeking a radically different approach, Van der Kolk approached the social designer Manon van Hoeckel. Van Hoeckel worked with young people to develop Het Bouwdepot, a pilot scheme that started in February 2020 with funding from organisations including the VriendenLoterij Fonds. Five formerly homeless young people received a €1,050 “construction budget” each month for a year. In a personal “construction plan”, each made financial commitments and set goals such as paying off debts or attending an educational course.
“I never thought I’d get this opportunity. Het Bouwdepot helped me start my own taxi company. If they hadn’t I’d still be in a shelter. I’m so glad that’s all behind me. Now I get to drive my taxi every day and help people.” – Jennifer, former participant in Het Bouwdepot in Eindhoven
From successful experiment to lasting change
The pilot scheme was a success. Four of the five participants saw their lives improve and the fifth said their situation was no worse. The young people talked about their experiences in a special podcast series. A second pilot followed. In 2021, Van Hoeckel and Van der Kolk received funding from DOEN’s Art & Design for Inclusion programme to transform Het Bouwdepot into a foundation that could continue to make an impact. It now assists municipalities and organisations interested in offering a “study allowance” for young people in vulnerable situations. It also reviews and reports on the outcomes of the scheme. The municipalities of Eindhoven, Arnhem, Leiden, Den Bosch, Delft, Hilversum, Groningen, Stichtse Vecht, Alphen aan den Rijn and Nieuwkoop are all currently participating. The city of Amersfoort has even decided to make money available on an ongoing basis.
An investment that pays off
To date, about 200 young people have been helped by Het Bouwdepot’s approach. Pilot schemes in several municipalities and studies evaluating the project have shown positive results. Research by the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT) found that after a year of receiving an allowance the young people were in better mental health, and more were living independently (82.6%, up from 60.9%), had started to work full-time (30.4%, up from 8.7%), and were debt-free (56.5%, up from 30.4%). A social cost–benefit analysis by Cebeon likewise shows that Het Bouwdepot’s approach works: after only three years, the societal benefits outweigh the investment.
“Together with Het Bouwdepot, we prefer to look at how policy can be brought into alignment with people’s needs, rather than vice versa. That’s why we’re calling on the Dutch House of Representatives to give municipalities the flexibility and resources to work with Het Bouwdepot, so that young people in vulnerable situations aren’t left to fend for themselves.” – Marleen van der Kolk, Director, Stichting Zwerfjongeren Nederland (Photo: Welmoed Jonker)
“Het Bouwdepot gets young people’s stories across in creative ways. So, for example, the young people tell their own stories in a podcast, and the organisation takes photographs showing them in a positive, constructive light. Painting an accurate picture is important for showing policymakers that different measures are more appropriate. If you can change people’s assumptions, then you can also change the systems.” – Reineke Schermer, Programme Manager, VriendenLoterij Fonds
The VriendenLoterij Fonds supports Het Bouwdepot thanks to the players of the VriendenLoterij.