"Carlos Fernandes is proud of the metalwork he does on Dutch superyachts that sail the world. But the Portuguese migrant worker was surprised to hear he might be paying hundreds of euros too much in monthly rent for his family's apartment. We found it and we moved in, he said. It should be between 800 and 1,115 but we are paying 1,380."
"We call these people new Rotterdammers, newcomers, and they deserve a home just like anyone else, she said. What those newcomers often find, however, is high rents, overcrowding, exploitative landlords and unfair evictions, said enforcement coordinator Reinier van Oversteeg. We come across four, five, six people in a very small house, where they sometimes sleep in a warm bed' one gets out, and the other gets in, he said."
Rotterdam municipal volunteers are knocking on hundreds of doors to inform residents about new powers to tackle substandard housing, illegal temporary contracts and exploitative rents. Many migrant workers pay well above legal rent levels and live in overcrowded, poorly maintained homes with multiple occupants sharing single beds. Landlords sometimes dock wages for housing and evict workers immediately after jobs end. Council officials refer to recent arrivals as "new Rotterdammers" and emphasize equal housing rights. National elections have elevated housing as a voter concern, with some political parties blaming migrants for shortages and high costs.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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