Putting the 'home' in 'home sweet home'

Last summer I decided to undertake a huge and hugely unsure project. Three continents and 6 months down the line, the project turned out fine, and much better than expected. A few other things, however, have temporarily escaped judgement. Things such as the question: where will I stay when I land?

Over the years I have outsourced cares about finding a home. When I decide to give up an abode to engage in multi-month travels, it is my environment that voices their concerns. "But what will you do when you come back?" My answer has been a carefree one: I will find a place. And I always have. Within weeks I have sussed out a temp appartment, room or attic, usually conveniently available until the next travel plan rears its head. It has been a good run: I have lived on nearly a dozen addresses in our dear capital.

But cracks are showing in the system. I have been home for a week, and my search has yielded absolutely zip. As Leonard Cohen famously stated: "The ponies run, the girls are young, the odds are there to beat. You win a while, and then it’s done – Your little winning streak." So far, my style has paid off. But maybe my luck has run out. I might have pushed it a bit too much this time around. But where did I go wrong? In hindsight, I could name a few reasons why I should have taken my current task at hand a little more serious.

To start with the general and move to the particular later: the availability of temp houses has dwindled significantly since the law has been passed that makes squatting illegal in the Netherlands. Housing corporation and such don't need to be that vigilant for housebreakers anymore.

Added to that, I never applied for the waiting list for the social housing corporation in Amsterdam. Reasoning that by the time I would be on top of the list (a good 10 years later) I'd be a moneyed renter who wouldnt be allowed in, seems to mark a slip in judgement. And signing up now is impossible: having no job or address in Amsterdam make me unelectable. But luckily there is the private sector. Unfortunately, they have their own set of prerequisites.

Possibly, I should have anticipated that to rent in the private sector, one needs a job. Funnily enough, it is the one thing which I currently don't have. I do have an income from the Dutch collective unemployment insurance, but private boys don't dig that too much. The fact that I could pay 10 months of rent in advance makes no difference to the highly inflexible companies.

And, to finish my predicament: I am not simply looking for a place where I can hang my hat, but a place that will feel like home for my Argentinian girlfriend as well, who will be joining me in a few weeks. The type of anti-squatting options I have accepted in the past, don't necessarily fit the scenario of showing someone the sunny side of our beloved country.

So without the possibility to rent from the social housing, nor from the private sector, the options are limited. Have I engaged in a mission impossible? I remain possitive, since you can't know that the wave is crashing before it has crashed. We will have to see.

There must be people who are looking for temps to look after their homes. Or people who have a room in there house they want to rent out. My scope has widened to include cities like Rotterdam, The Hague and Haarlem. Other places will become acceptable as well very soon. As long as I don't have to move back to Eindhoven ;) All hints are welcome!

Photos by Annemieke Denters and The Internet.