The long tradition of faith-based affordable housing in the Netherlands.
The focus of this website is on what North American communities of faith are doing now in support of affordable housing. That might give the impression that the Christian church has only recently involved itself in housing the homeless and the housing-insecure, a new social mission in response to a growing need. But such is not the case. In Europe, for instance, there is a long tradition of faith-based affordable housing, of giving shelter to the homeless, of accommodating the stranger. The tradition has its ethical and religious roots in Matthew 25, where Jesus himself identifies with the neighbor in need: on the day of judgment, those who turned away their neighbors will find out that they were turning away Jesus; likewise, those who served their neighbors will find out they were serving Jesus. “Inasmuch as you do it to the least of these, you do it to me.” (Matthew 25:40).
In the Dutch city of Groningen lies the Martinikerk, a church named after the French fourth-century saint, Martin of Tours. Legend has it that when he was serving in the Roman army as a young man, he came upon an elderly man, half-naked, by the roadside. So moved by compassion was Saint Martin that he tore his own cloak in half and gave one half to the man. That very night Martin had a vision in which Jesus appeared to him, wearing the cloak he had given to the man. Indeed: inasmuch as you do it to the least of there, you do it to me. The list of deeds named by Jesus in Matthew 25 was made into a canon called the “Seven Acts of Corporeal Mercy”—the seven ways Christians serve the bodily needs of their neighbors. The needs all arise from the fact that we are embodied creatures: the needs for food and drink; clothing and shelter; care while sick; visitation while imprisoned; and burial upon death (this last added by a pope in the middle ages during the plague).
In the city of Groningen there are some thirty examples of affordable courtyard housing founded by religious bodies or individuals for the care of the poor, the elderly, and the ill. They are known as “hofjes,” and they stretch back to 1405 (Pepergasthuis, see photo above). Some of the older ones were created as “chantry foundations,” where residents were required to pray daily for the founders. Others were created for the care and accommodation of members of a particular denomination (reformed, anabaptist, remonstrant, and the like); others were for retired members of a guild or profession. Generally, the hofjes had age and income qualifications for its residents. One had to be above a certain age and below a certain income level. Today, most of the hofjes still provide affordable housing, but in some cases the age restrictions have been lifted in order to accommodate students and young families.
From an architectural perspective, the hofjes are of particular interest because they are remarkably well-suited to the accommodation of vulnerable populations. Modeled after the monastic cloister, they surround a central garden, providing an “urban oasis” off the noisy and unprotected city streets. Typically, entry and exit are controlled by a front gate facing the street. The arrangements of individual living units fronting a common garden seems to offer an ideal balance between the need for community and the need for privacy. Often the rows of individual apartments are complemented by a common meeting room for shared dining and social events.
From the perspective of urban design, the hofjes are also of interest because of the variations of the courtyard plan and its scalability. The courtyard can be closed, or open on one side, or created by two parallel rows of residential units. The courtyard itself can be small and placed midblock, or larger and front the street, or larger still and form the perimeter of an entire block.
Churches partnering with non-profit organizations to build new units of affordable housing may want to consider the courtyard design and its advantages.
In the Dutch city of Groningen lies the Martinikerk, a church named after the French fourth-century saint, Martin of Tours. Legend has it that when he was serving in the Roman army as a young man, he came upon an elderly man, half-naked, by the roadside. So moved by compassion was Saint Martin that he tore his own cloak in half and gave one half to the man. That very night Martin had a vision in which Jesus appeared to him, wearing the cloak he had given to the man. Indeed: inasmuch as you do it to the least of there, you do it to me. The list of deeds named by Jesus in Matthew 25 was made into a canon called the “Seven Acts of Corporeal Mercy”—the seven ways Christians serve the bodily needs of their neighbors. The needs all arise from the fact that we are embodied creatures: the needs for food and drink; clothing and shelter; care while sick; visitation while imprisoned; and burial upon death (this last added by a pope in the middle ages during the plague).
In the city of Groningen there are some thirty examples of affordable courtyard housing founded by religious bodies or individuals for the care of the poor, the elderly, and the ill. They are known as “hofjes,” and they stretch back to 1405 (Pepergasthuis, see photo above). Some of the older ones were created as “chantry foundations,” where residents were required to pray daily for the founders. Others were created for the care and accommodation of members of a particular denomination (reformed, anabaptist, remonstrant, and the like); others were for retired members of a guild or profession. Generally, the hofjes had age and income qualifications for its residents. One had to be above a certain age and below a certain income level. Today, most of the hofjes still provide affordable housing, but in some cases the age restrictions have been lifted in order to accommodate students and young families.
From an architectural perspective, the hofjes are of particular interest because they are remarkably well-suited to the accommodation of vulnerable populations. Modeled after the monastic cloister, they surround a central garden, providing an “urban oasis” off the noisy and unprotected city streets. Typically, entry and exit are controlled by a front gate facing the street. The arrangements of individual living units fronting a common garden seems to offer an ideal balance between the need for community and the need for privacy. Often the rows of individual apartments are complemented by a common meeting room for shared dining and social events.
From the perspective of urban design, the hofjes are also of interest because of the variations of the courtyard plan and its scalability. The courtyard can be closed, or open on one side, or created by two parallel rows of residential units. The courtyard itself can be small and placed midblock, or larger and front the street, or larger still and form the perimeter of an entire block.
Churches partnering with non-profit organizations to build new units of affordable housing may want to consider the courtyard design and its advantages.