Around 1995, visits were made to foyer projects – first via SEV in France and later in England – to see whether the experiences there were relevant to the situation in the Netherlands.  Afterwards, various organisations began working with this concept and the first projects appeared in Vlissingen, Leiden, The Hague and Dordrecht.

 

In 2004, Aedes (the federation of housing associations) worked to put together a broad alliance including: housing associations, educational and welfare institutions, business and government. Their joint efforts were (and still are) directed towards offering a solid basis for disadvantaged youth. Young people who cannot make it on their own and for whom a preventive approach can help save them from dropping out of school, long-term joblessness and social exclusion. 

 

Kamers met Kansen offers young people from 18 to 25 the opportunity to grow into fully fledged adults. The jump from living at home to being fully independent can be less daunting with an interim step of a Foyer or WorkHotel. Nobody thinks twice about groups of students sharing living space. Why shouldn’t other young people be able to do the same? Those who would or might otherwise ‘fall between the cracks’ in society can use this ‘halfway solution’ to work on their future. Foyer literally means ‘hearth’ and that is exactly what Kamers met Kansen are: a place by the hearth where young people can work out their newly independent lives.

 

The WorkHotel and Foyer formula has been successfully utilised in England and France, in particular, for some time. Various initiatives have also been started in Holland. The alliance Kamers met Kansen has set a goal of about 100 Foyers and WorkHotels in Holland by the end of 2011.