Residents’ response
An anonymous response was received by the editorial staff after the article had been submitted to the current residents in advance. “We are quite shocked by the message you published. The house is close to our hearts and we do not recognize it in the picture sketched.” The residents dispute that the house is polluted and believe that they should treat it with due care. They also indicate that they do carry out maintenance: “…but with the understanding that they (the residents, ed.) live with the uncertainty of a two-month notice period in a building that is going to be demolished, which means there are no in-depth investments done.” Despite the fact that the Chamber of Commerce reports that the Behoud Huis van Mien Foundation has been closed down, the residents dispute that it existed. They also deny that the building has been squatted.
Municipality response
In a response, the municipality confirms that the building would be demolished in the first instance. When that was no longer possible, another destination was sought. “Partly due to the corona pandemic, this process took longer than expected,” a spokesperson wrote. “Based on the current coalition agreement 2022-2026, the sale of municipal real estate is now viewed differently. When selling, we do not award contracts based solely on the highest offered price, but we also look at the greatest social added value. We are currently investigating how this process is being initiated, taking into account the cultural-historical value.” The published documents reveal nothing about a changed sales policy of the municipality. The municipality does not comment on the finding that the building is now ready for demolition.