On the 30th of April, Kunstenbond and Platform BK sent an open letter, in which we called for a rent freeze for studio and living spaces. Last week, we received a response letter from Minister Ollongren of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, also on behalf of Minister Van Engelshoven of Education, Culture and Science. In it, the Minister hints at the possibility for complementary support measures.
In the letter, Minister Ollongren explains that, in the relieve scheme of 300 million euros deployed by Minister Van Engelshoven, some 3 to 4 million euros is destined for visual artists and will be distributed by the Mondriaan Fund. Furthermore, the Minister refers to the ‘customized support’, which is currently provided to keep tenants out of financial problems, and the possibility to receive support via ‘huurtoeslag’.
Next to this explanation of the current policies, Minister Ollongren hints at the possibility for complementary support measures. She states:
By August, I will have a better overview of how customized support has been provided and of the implementation of rent raises. Then, I will also have a better overview of the economic aftereffects of the corona crisis and how they will impact the income development of tenants. With this overview, I will consider whether to take complementary measures to support households with payment risk.
Download the entire letter (in Dutch) via this button: