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Foundation · ANBI · Winner SDG Award NL 2023

Can you tell who is homeless?Neither can we.

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A divorce. Illness. Losing a job. Anyone is one crisis away from homelessness.

Room for Change gives people without a home rest, space and perspective in hotels, so they can rebuild their lives.

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Marnix Geus and Paul, whose meeting was the start of Room for Change
How it began

A meeting that changed lives

It was a freezing day at the end of February 2021. Marnix Geus, founder of Room for Change, was walking through the city when he met Paul, who was braving the cold on the street. That meeting became the start of something big.

Moved by Paul’s story, Marnix decided to act. He posted a call on LinkedIn: a simple request to chip in for a week of hotel nights for Paul, so he would no longer have to sleep outside. Within one weekend, not only had €30,000 been raised, but Hotel Kimpton De Witt spontaneously offered shelter to more than twenty homeless people during the bitter winter weeks.

This inspired Jos van Hunen, General Manager of Kimpton, and Marnix to go one step further together. Jos proposed opening five rooms on a structural basis to people who are economically homeless. Then came the idea: what if more hotels did this?

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How it works

From homeless to a fresh start.

  1. 01

    Homeless

    A divorce, illness or a lost job, and suddenly there is no home. People stay with friends, in a car or in a shelter. The earlier we step in, the better the chance of recovery.

  2. 02

    A hotel room

    A hotel makes a room available and a local care partner offers guidance. Within three to six months, participants move on to durable housing.

    Room for Change
  3. 03

    A group of friends

    A group of friends walks alongside someone who is starting over, for as long as it clicks. Because you can be lonely behind your own front door too.

    Homies
  4. 04

    Work

    With companies, hotels and employment agencies we help participants back into work where we can. We are building this out step by step.

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Why we exist

A temporary crisis should not decide anyone’s future.

We believe in a society where people look out for each other. Because every person counts.

How we help

  • Safety
  • Rest
  • Room to breathe
  • Connection
  • Perspective
  • 30 hotels have taken part
  • 250 people helped since 2021
  • 5 cities: Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Den Bosch, Arnhem
  • 2 national awards: SDG 2023 & Omarmprijs 2022
News & stories

The latest from Room for Change

All news & stories

Made possible by

  • The Present
  • Contribute Foundation
  • Catharina Stichting
  • Oranje Fonds
  • VP Capital
In their words

Why people believe in Room for Change

“When you have no place to rest, to cry and to sleep when you need to, it is damn hard to recharge your batteries and find the energy to deal with setbacks. Or to focus on your future. After three months in the hotel, I am at the start of a bright new future.”
Wilfred Former participant, Room for Change
“What I love about Room for Change is that participants don’t just get a roof over their heads, they are guests, welcome, in a hotel. They belong. A first step towards a place of their own.”
Jury SDG Award NL 2023
“Being treated normally made me feel like a guest again, not a ‘special case’.”
Participant Amsterdam
“Apart from the fact that we find it important to support this initiative, we have noticed a positive effect on our staff and the atmosphere at work since our new guests arrived.”
Jos van Hunen Lore Group
“One moment you are lying in the gutter, in the rain, trying to find shelter. And the next you are lying in what is, to me, a ridiculously expensive hotel room. Try to imagine that as a ‘normal’ person.”
Participant Rotterdam
“A roof over your head is a basic right. Room for Change makes a problem that often stays under the radar visible, and solves it.”
Jury Omarmprijs 2022
“Why do we believe in contributing to a better world with our hotel? Because we have the opportunity to. It can be that simple.”
Floris Licht General Manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam CS
Join in

Run a hotel, give, or work with us: there is a place for your help.

For hotels

Change a life between check-in and check-out

A low-threshold way to give your CSR and SDG ambitions real meaning, engaging for your team and visible to your guests.

See how your hotel can join
For donors

Give a fresh start to a person in crisis

From €15 you help people who got stuck in the system find space and perspective again. Room for Change is an ANBI, so your gift is tax-deductible.

Donate now
For partners

Join us as a partner or with Homies

A municipality, a care partner in a new city, a company with a job track or a group of friends for Homies: every partnership helps us reach more people.

See all the ways to help

Because every person counts.

Do you have rooms available, or do you know someone who runs a hotel? Get in touch. Or support us: from €15 you help give a person in crisis a fresh start.

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