[Last Updated (dd/mm/yy)  18/11/03 ]

To Squat or to Anti-Squat

Two cheap ways to get a place is to squat a place, or, contrary, to go live somewhere anti-squat.
    The idea behind squatting is that when an apartment has been empty for a long time, you go live there without permission of the owner. This is, obviously, a quite cheap way of living, and sometimes results in a "legalized" apartment. The great disadvantage of the method is the extensive preparation that is required, and the risk that you are expelled, in which case you normally lose your belongings. Besides, privacy is a rare thing in squatted places.
    Anti-squatting means that you live in a place that is empty for a limited period or is going to be torn down, to prevent it from being squatted. This is often very cheap, but the disadvantage is that you can have to move very often and quite suddenly. In Anti-squat places there isn't much privacy either, since the owner can come in any time with potential buyers to show the apartment to. The great advantage is the enormous amount of space some of these places have, something you will never be able to get on the regular house market in Amsterdam.

Squatlinks

	Squatnet	Lots of information on Squatnet, a well maintained squat site.
	Vrije Keyser	Radio de Vrije Keyser has all kinds of squat news.

Anti-squat addresses

	Ad-Hoc	Stichting Beheer AD-HOC Nassaulaan 2b Postbus 424 2501 CK Den Haag
	Camelot	Stichting Camelot Postbus 1211 5200 BG Den Bosch Tel. 073-6140000
	Zwerfkei	Zwerfkei Bewaring BV Stadionweg 70 1077 SP Amsterdam Telefoon: 020 -6220808 Faxnummer: 020 -6223408
	Alvast	Alvast Westersingel 50b 3014 GV Rotterdam tel: 010-4369111 fax: 010-4367808 info@alvast.nl