Rising prices, endless waiting lists and a severe shortage of housing: the housing crisis affects us all. From 14 August to 11 October 2026 Museum Het Schip presents the exhibition No home of your own. Living in crisis. The exhibition delves into the history of social housing, explores the causes of today’s housing crisis and presents possible solutions, both past and present.
A double anniversary
In 2026, Museum Het Schip celebrates its 25th anniversary, while also marking 125 years since the introduction of the Dutch Housing Act. The Act paved the way for large-scale housing construction and improved living conditions for the working class. It is a natural point of departure for Museum Het Schip, which tells the story of the Amsterdam School movement: a group of idealistic artists and architects who sought to uplift the working class.
Although this story of workers’ palaces and art created for the working class continues to capture the imagination, it did not solve every problem: over the past century, one housing crisis has followed another.
Although this story of workers’ palaces and art created for the working class continues to capture the imagination, it did not solve every problem: over the past century, one housing crisis has followed another.
From squatters’ riots to housing cooperatives
The exhibition takes you on a journey through time. An interactive timeline guides you through the highs and lows of social housing, from urban expansion and housing associations to slums and squatters’ riots. It also explores themes such as homelessness, protest and the struggle for space. Through artworks, archival footage and protest posters, you will discover the importance of good social housing, as well as how it has come under pressure from systems, bureaucracy and market forces. Carlijn Kingma’s The Machinery of Social Housing, for example, reveals all the interlocking cogs of the system, while the exhibition also offers concrete ideas for reducing vacant properties and housing shortages.
Public programme
The housing crisis is an issue that concerns many of us. That is why Museum Het Schip is working with partners from across Amsterdam and beyond — including artists, architects, urban planners and housing associations, as well as squatters and people experiencing homelessness — to create a thought-provoking and socially engaged public programme. In collaboration with Museum Het Schip and Nul20, architect Mimi Oldenhave Metz is producing a podcast about the current housing shortage and the people affected by it.
