Amsterdam’s soaring homeless population and escalating drug problems have pushed the city—and others across the Netherlands—to a breaking point, Mayor Femke Halsema warned this week. Addressing ministers in The Hague, she urged the national government to step in with a coordinated strategy to curb homelessness, crack cocaine addiction and public drug use.
Halsema highlighted a surge in makeshift camps and street encampments, often occupied by people battling addiction and mental health issues. “Local authorities simply cannot keep up with the scale of the crisis,” she said, noting long waiting lists for shelters and detox facilities. “We need a nationally funded plan with clear targets and accountability.”
The mayor also sounded the alarm over the rise in crack use, particularly in Amsterdam’s city centre. Police report a two-thirds jump in crack-related incidents over the past year, straining law enforcement and emergency services. Halsema stressed that enforcement alone is not enough: “Criminalisation without care is a recipe for further tragedy.”
Key proposals on Halsema’s agenda
- A national homelessness strategy providing long-term funding for shelters, outreach teams and affordable housing developments.
- Expanded addiction treatment with new detox centres, mobile support units and specialised mental health services.
- Stricter regulation of public spaces combined with safe consumption rooms and needle exchange programmes.
- Enhanced training for local authorities in crisis management, de-escalation and addiction care.
Mayors from Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht have voiced similar concerns, calling for a unified approach that transcends municipal borders. They argue that piecemeal, city-by-city efforts have failed to stem the flow of people into street homelessness or to halt the spread of open-air drug markets.
In response, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment indicated it is reviewing funding allocations and policy frameworks. A spokesperson confirmed talks are under way to establish a cross-departmental task force, aiming to deliver proposals by the end of the year.
For Halsema and her colleagues, time is of the essence. “Every day we delay, more people slip through the cracks,” she said. “This is a crisis that affects the fabric of our cities—and it demands a national solution.”
