The office building at Jean Monnetpark 1 will serve as a temporary accommodation centre for around 150 Ukrainian displaced persons. The local authority expects the building to be ready for use by mid-2027.
The war in Ukraine has now been going on for several years and, sadly, there is still no end in sight. In Apeldoorn, more than 1,000 Ukrainian displaced persons are being accommodated, spread across various locations in the city and surrounding villages. Some of them have been living here for quite some time. At these accommodation centres, many people are living together in confined spaces. An additional accommodation centre will help us to improve living conditions in the council-run accommodation centres.
Suitable accommodation sites are not easy to find. As there is a high demand for housing, the council does not wish to use residential properties for this purpose. The council is therefore focusing primarily on buildings with a different designated use, such as office blocks. The building on Jean Monnet Park will become available in January 2027 and offers sufficient space for the accommodation. Before residents can move in, alterations to the building are required. These are expected to be completed by mid-2027. The council is entering into a three-year tenancy agreement, with an option to extend it.
The local authority is committed to ensuring peace and quiet and a good quality of life at and around the site. As at other local authority accommodation centres, there are house rules in place. There is supervision and security 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The site managers ensure that the rules are followed.
Experiences with the reception of Ukrainians in Apeldoorn have generally been positive. Many residents have settled into life here as well as they can. They are working, their children are attending school, and they are trying to lead as normal a life as possible.
Local residents and business owners in the vicinity of this new reception centre for Ukrainian displaced persons will be informed by letter on Wednesday 30 September and invited to an information meeting.
As the war in Ukraine has been going on for some time, there is a growing need to improve living conditions in reception centres. In Apeldoorn, we are accommodating over 1,000 Ukrainian displaced persons, spread across various locations in the city and surrounding villages. At these sites, many people are living together in confined spaces. An additional site would enable us to ease the pressure on existing sites and improve living conditions in the council’s reception centres.
The local authority has been looking for a new location for some time now. Suitable sites are not easy to find. The office building at Jean Monnetpark 1 will become available in January 2027; it offers sufficient space and, with some modifications, can be adapted for use as temporary accommodation. As the need for housing is so great, we are primarily looking at buildings with a different intended use, such as office buildings, for accommodation purposes.
We are currently renting this property solely to provide accommodation for displaced people from Ukraine. At the same time, we cannot predict how the war will unfold. If, in the future, we require less or no accommodation for Ukrainians, we will enter into discussions with the landlord to explore the possibility of accommodating other groups. For example, people who urgently need temporary accommodation.
We expect to open the site in mid-2027. Before residents can move in, the building will need to be adapted. As soon as it is clear when the first residents will be moving in, we will organise an opportunity for the local community to come and have a look around the building shortly before it opens.
The local authority will rent the premises for at least three years, with the option to extend the tenancy agreement.
There is supervision and security 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residents are subject to house rules, just as they are at other municipal accommodation centres. The site supervisors and the site manager ensure that these rules are followed and that peace and order are maintained in and around the site. If residents do not comply with the rules, appropriate action will be taken.
Our experiences have generally been positive. Many residents have made the best of their lives here. They work, their children go to school, and they try to lead as normal a life as possible.
The owner intends to convert the building into a residential block with flats in due course. As soon as these plans become more definite, the developer will inform the neighbourhood and local businesses.
Do you have a question that isn’t answered above? If so, please email us at oekraine@apeldoorn.nl.
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