On Thursday September 9, the Amsterdam team organised a youth town hall meeting. Around 20 young people, as well as several people from the local UPLIFT team, were present.
On Thursday September 9, the Amsterdam team organised a youth town hall meeting. Around 20 young people, as well as several people from the local UPLIFT team (representing housing association De Key, the municipality of Amsterdam, !WOON, Inbo and TU Delft), were present.
The evening started with pizza and drinks, followed by some ice-breaking activities, which created an open and enthusiastic atmosphere. Subsequently, we had a lively discussion on the different dimensions of vulnerability. It was concluded that everyone is vulnerable at some point in their life. Housing is often a crucial factor when it comes to vulnerability. Problems in someone’s personal life (e.g. illness, divorce, unemployment) may lead to loss of housing, thereby further enhancing one’s vulnerability. Indeed, having adequate housing seems to be a necessary precondition for getting out of a vulnerable situation.
The second part of the evening involved discussions about the next steps in the Amsterdam co-creation process. For instance, in the coming three months, a new communal youth housing concept for housing association De Key will be developed by young people themselves. Representatives from De Key elaborated on the location for this new housing concept (it will replace a bike garage in Amsterdam West). The architectural firm Inbo also shared how they plan to support the young people in the development process.
Both the young people and the local UPLIFT team are very excited about this next step.