The Eindhoven municipality wants to house more than a hundred Ukrainian refugees in the office building on P. C. Hooftlaan 14, because the existing shelter at the Kronehoefstraat will be closed and more refugees are expected. The local government is looking for additional shelters.
In January this year, the municipality housed just over a thousand refugees from Ukraine. Because the war in the Eastern European country is still ongoing, the municipality assumes that another three hundred refugees will be added in July. The local government has to find additional shelter, bringing the total to 1300 reception places.
Move in, move out
The shelter on the P.C. Hooftlaan is intended for the refugees who now stay in the shelter on the Kronehoefstraat. That building, an old Rabobank office, was only moderately suitable for long-term reception and will be closed in March. Some 200 people have been living there since the start of the Ukraine war. Of these, about 86 refugees already were able to move to the shelter on the Bomanshof. The other 114 refugees will be housed in the building at the P.C. Hooftlaan.
Renovation and operation costs
To move into the new building, the municipality must incur costs. Renovation costs are estimated at 290,000 euros. The operation of the building will cost more than 140,000 euros a month. In principle, both the operation of the building and its renovation are paid for by the national government.
End of rent
The building on the P.C. Hooftlaan should be ready for use by mid-March. It is not entirely clear how long the accommodation will serve as a refugee shelter. The shelter will be available for at least a year – until February 2024. The municipality also has the option to rent the building until the end of 2024. Whether this option is used depends on the plans for the redevelopment of the area.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Martijn
