Neighborhood mediation Zwartewaterland:

stronger together in the neighborhood

What do you do when the smell of your neighbors' barbecue wafts into your living room? Or when noise increasingly disturbs your sleep? Many people prefer to resolve these kinds of situations peacefully, without immediately calling the police or housing association. In that case, it's helpful to have a way to respectfully discuss issues with your neighbors. Neighborhood mediation offers just that: an accessible and independent way to discuss neighborhood issues.

 

Experience that works

Neighborhood mediation has been active in the municipality of Zwartewaterland since March. Eric Jonk, area director at Wetland Wonen, considers it a positive and important step. "We want our tenants to have a comfortable place to live. But sometimes tensions arise between neighbors that are difficult to resolve on your own. In such cases, it's helpful to have support to get the conversation going. That's what neighborhood mediation does: it helps neighbors connect with each other respectfully."

 

Available to everyone

Neighborhood mediation is a collaboration between Wetland Wonen, the municipality of Zwartewaterland, the police, and Sociaal Werk De Kop. Wetland and the municipality jointly make this service possible, so that every resident of Zwartewaterland can use it, whether they rent or own their home.

This method has already proven its value in the municipality of Steenwijkerland. Eric believes this is reason enough to implement it in Zwartewaterland as well: "It works. And because we're working together with the municipality and the police here, and utilizing the experience and organization of Sociaal Werk De Kop, we're well-prepared to get started."

 

First aid for neighbor problems

When tensions rise between you and your neighbors, it can be difficult to (re)engage in conversation. Neighborhood mediation offers a solution in these situations.

Willemien Haasjes, neighborhood mediation coordinator at Sociaal Werk De Kop: "It's often about minor annoyances that gradually escalate. Noise pollution, clutter in the garden, children playing, or nuisance from animals... If you can't resolve the issue yourself, you can turn to neighborhood mediation. We are independent and ensure you can talk to your neighbors again. Not to propose a solution, but to help you understand each other again."

 

In conversation for a better neighborhood

Volunteer mediators from Sociaal Werk De Kop facilitate the conversation. They are well-trained and always work in pairs. Willemien: "Neighbors ultimately resolve the issue together, and we provide structure and safety during the conversation. We listen and create a calm and peaceful space for you to share your story. Sometimes that's enough to break the pattern. And if it doesn't work? Then we explore with the parties involved whether other support is needed."

Neighborhood mediation doesn't solve everything, but it does provide clarity. "If people can say after the process that they did what they could, that's also a valuable result," Willemien believes. "People like to feel heard and seen, and that already makes a big difference."

 

Support and trust

The power of neighborhood mediation lies in collaboration, Eric and Willemien emphasize. The municipality, housing corporation, police, and Sociaal Werk De Kop have jointly agreed on a single route. Whether you rent from Wetland or not, everyone in Zwartewaterland can use neighborhood mediation. "We want residents to know there's an alternative before they contact official agencies," says Eric. "And that they are in charge of the solution themselves. That makes the process more effective and sustainable."

Steenwijkerland has years of experience with neighborhood mediation. And that knowledge also benefits Zwartewaterland. Willemien: "Our new volunteers were able to gain experience in Steenwijkerland by shadowing colleagues there. And occasionally, a neighborhood mediator from Steenwijkerland helps out in our municipality. Steenwijk is quite busy right now, so lately we've been stepping in there more often. This way, we support each other where needed."

The ambition is clear: to contribute to neighborhoods where people live together happily. Or, as Wetland puts it: pleasant living, now and in the future.

 

Source: www.wetlandwonen.nl