Frequently asked questions

Room for Change turns empty hotel rooms into a safe place to rest for people who are temporarily without a home. Hotels open their doors, local care partners provide the guidance, and within three to six months people move on to more permanent housing.

For people who are economically homeless. They lost their home through something like a divorce, illness, job loss or bankruptcy, and now stay partly on the street or with friends. Buying a home or renting privately is usually out of reach, and they have rarely been registered long enough for social housing, where waiting times often run to ten years or more.

Participants in the programme: people who are temporarily without a home and have no serious psychiatric diagnosis or addiction. Hotels tell us they cannot tell participants apart from their regular guests.

On the street or in emergency shelter, the risk of someone sliding further and developing heavier problems is high. A hotel room offers calm and safety, and the space to look ahead again. Participants get to exist for a while without the label “homeless”, and we see their self-image grow during the stay. The earlier someone gets that room, the better their chance of lasting recovery.

Homies is the second programme of Room for Change: a group of friends who stand alongside someone who is or was homeless, sharing time, attention and friendship. Homies Foundation became part of Stichting Room for Change in 2026. The hotel room gives someone the calm to recover; the group of friends gives them people who stay.

Our local care partners do the selection. They know this group best and can judge who is ready to stay independently in a hotel. Each city has one lead partner with a dedicated contact person. As a rule, someone is only placed when a (semi-)permanent place to live after the stay is already in sight.

Yes. Do you have knowledge, experience, a strong network, or above all the wish to contribute? We can always use extra hands, fresh thinking and people who care. From a one-off job to ongoing support, there is always a way for you to make a difference.

A group of friends, family members or colleagues who team up with someone who is or was homeless. Room for Change makes the match. After that, you share your time: a coffee, a walk, help with a form, or simply being there. No background in social work needed; you come as yourself.

Spread across the group, it comes to about an hour a week per person. There is no end date: a group carries on for as long as it clicks.

Yes. A group can be made up of friends, family or colleagues. Want to form one with your team? Tell us who you have in mind and we will work out together what fits.

Your gift makes more shelter, more guidance and more prospects possible: a safe place to catch your breath, guidance towards stability and lasting housing, and the cooperation between hotels, care partners and Room for Change that makes recovery possible.

Yes. On the donation page you choose whether to give once or monthly, and how much. From €15, you help someone in crisis make a fresh start.

Room for Change is registered as an ANBI, a Dutch public benefit organisation, so gifts are tax-deductible within the rules that apply. Commit your gift for at least five years and you may deduct the full amount. For questions about your own tax return, call the Belastingtelefoon on 0800 0543.

Yes. We are always looking for more ways to support our participants, from food and clothing to something else entirely. New underwear is especially valuable: a basic need that is rarely donated, yet makes a big difference to comfort, health and self-esteem.

Yes. By including Room for Change in your will, you pass on chances to others after your lifetime. A special gesture that keeps contributing to calm, connection and a new beginning. Get in touch if you would like to talk about it.

Six months at most. Usually, a participant moves on to (semi-)permanent housing within three months.

No. Our local care partners handle the selection, placement and guidance of participants. The hotel provides the room; we take care of the rest.

You offer a room to someone who is temporarily without a home. Participants contribute €450 a month themselves, and the guidance sits with our care partners. That keeps the impact high and the extra effort for your team small.

We build the network. We connect the care organisations, who have the expertise to judge who is ready to stay independently in a hotel, with hotels that want to give someone in crisis room to breathe. After that, we stay in touch with both the hotel and the care organisation to keep the cooperation running smoothly and make sure everyone is happy with it.

No more and no less than for any regular guest. And seeing what it does for your team to offer hospitality, together, to someone who needs it most.

Basically the same as with any regular guest. We do not ask for extra leeway for our participants. The house rules are discussed up front, and several documents setting out these agreements are signed. Anyone who does not follow the hotel’s rules is no longer welcome.

Fortunately, incidents are rare. If something does come up, you are not on your own. You have one fixed contact at Room for Change and one at the care partner. We keep the lines short, stay in regular touch and act quickly when needed.

Our programme has now helped 250 people. Several general managers tell us our guests behave better on average than the regular tourist! There have been two cases where someone was no longer welcome: one person kept smoking in their room after a warning, and one walked naked through the lobby.

Nothing at all! Our participants do not stand out, because they do not fit the stigma around homeless people. They are not recognisable as such and blend in with all the regular guests.

Surprisingly, not everyone is looking for work. A considerable share of people end up on the street even while they have a job. For participants who are looking, it is not wise to tie the temporary space the hotel offers to a job there. We can, however, connect people staying at another hotel if there is a need for it.

We always work with care organisations that screen and guide the participants. As a rule, participants are only placed when a (semi-)permanent solution after the stay is known. Sometimes participants are placed for a shorter period, when they need a breather.

Only if you want it. We love to shout it from the rooftops, and we are proud of every hotel that takes part. Not every hotel wants that attention, though, so we always agree it with the hotel first.

People without a home often live in permanent survival mode. Without calm and safety, the risk of sliding further is high. A safe hotel room, combined with professional guidance, creates room to look ahead again. The earlier we step in, the better the chance of lasting recovery.

You select, place and guide the participants, supporting them during a stay of three to six months towards lasting housing and, if they want it, work. In each city one partner takes the lead and appoints a dedicated contact person.

Room for Change arranges the hotel rooms. We work closely with fixed contacts and keep the lines short. House rules are agreed up front and set down in signed documents, and we stay in touch with both the hotel and you to keep the cooperation on track.

People who are economically homeless and have no serious psychiatric diagnosis or addiction, and who can stay independently in a hotel. As a rule, someone is placed only when a (semi-)permanent place to live after the stay is known. Sometimes a shorter stay works too, when someone needs a breather.

As a care partner, you match someone who is ready for this step to an available room, in consultation with your fixed contact at Room for Change. Not working with us yet? Get in touch and we will see what is possible in your city.

In several ways. Since 2024 the programme has a work track: together with companies, hotels and staffing agencies, we help participants back into work after screening by our care partners. You can also donate products or services, form a Homies group with colleagues, or make a donation.

Yes, gladly. Thanks to partners such as HVEG Fashion Group and Fashion Favourites Group, we regularly receive new clothing for people who are homeless, including Bamboo Basics underwear, Brams Workwear T-shirts, hats and more. Through our care partners, these items reach participants and visitors of walk-in centres.

Yes. Colleagues can form a Homies group together and stand alongside someone who is or was homeless, for about an hour a week per person. Beyond that, we can always use extra hands, fresh thinking and people who care, from a one-off job to ongoing support.