West Maas en Waal participating in the “My Home Is in Gelderland” Challenge

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Build your own home in a vacant building

The Province of Gelderland, in collaboration with the municipality West Maas en Waal , is looking for West Maas en Waal residents who want to make the old village hall “De Hanze” in Maasbommel the original Gravin van Rechteren School in Appeltern home. The group with the best idea will be allowed to purchase the building and get to work. The province has selected a number of suitable vacant locations in Gelderland for the “My Home Is in Gelderland” Challenge.

Alderman Cruijsen: “We are proud that two vacant buildings in our municipality have been selected for this Challenge. We hope this will give residents of our municipality the opportunity to turn their dream home into a reality. They will receive guidance from professionals as they develop their plans. And in this way, these two unique buildings will be preserved for the municipality. A win-win situation!”

The Challenge: More Housing, Fewer Vacancies, More Attractive Neighborhoods

Peter Kerris, a member of the Gelderland Provincial Executive, explains the principle behind the Challenge: “Many people are looking for a home, yet at the same time there are vacant buildings. As a province, we use ‘My Home Is in Gelderland’ to connect home seekers with vacant buildings. Together with us, they develop a plan and convert the buildings into homes. This also makes living in the neighborhood much more pleasant for local residents. In this way, we work together to create additional housing, reduce vacancy rates, and make neighborhoods and districts more sustainable.”

Provincial Executive Member Peter Kerris visits projects

On Saturday, September 26, Provincial Executive Member Peter Kerris will visit several projects participating in the Challenge. He will also visit De Hanze in Maasbommel together with Alderman Cruijsen. Anyone interested is welcome to tour the building that day. Registration is required due to COVID-19 regulations.

Challenge Schedule

For these two projects, the province and the municipality are looking for two groups of residents to work together on developing a plan. Anyone interested (groups or individuals) can apply via the website from October 1 through November 1, 2020.