Co-reliant

Co-reliant and resilient

The ChristenUnie dreams of a city with diverse inhabitants with mutual appeal. We believe in togetherness instead of self-reliance. A society that faces and bears challenges together. A place where you can do it yourself, but also fall back on social contacts, organisations, churches or the government in difficult phases of your life.

The municipality's main task is to strengthen society, and therefore it stands next to people, to point out their own responsibility, but also to think along, stimulate and support where necessary. We are committed to a safe and just Utrecht with good education and well-functioning care. Where necessary, we offer support and work to combat poverty. This brings a more secure existence closer for everyone.

Security and justice
The ChristenUnie stands for equal treatment and a fair system. Every resident must be able to move freely in society and in public spaces. To be able to live in freedom, safety is a prerequisite. Safety in traffic, in public spaces and in social contacts. Due to the size of the city, we see the differences between people increasing. For example, between rich and poor, the theoretically and practically educated, young and old. Differences sometimes lead to mutual tensions. By building a good network, a real society, we reduce mutual tensions. In our immediate vicinity, culture, sports, libraries, schools, playgrounds and voluntary efforts make Utrecht dynamic and liveable. Residents seek each other out in (in)formal networks, for example: around a joint hobby, in a shared residential area, or out of a need for care and support.

Social safety and co-reliance arise mainly in neighbourhoods, and that is why the ChristenUnie is committed to the neighbourhoods and neighbourhood construction in Utrecht. To this end, we support organisations and associations in their local initiatives. A well-functioning society is also the answer to smaller, visible offences and invisible large-scale serious crime and subversion. For this reason, we continue to invest in social networks and the use of localised police officers.

Education, work and development
The ChristenUnie wants to contribute to a healthy labour market, and wants to make lifelong development possible for everyone. Utrecht is a city with a lot of employment in various sectors. However, the jobs do not always fit well with the talents or possibilities of all its residents. We continue to choose meaningful work for every resident. This can also be a meaningful social contribution in the form of informal care or volunteer work. Trust is the basis in the search for work, and we start from the perspective of the job seeker. We pay attention to the personal circumstances that influence the search process, such as a physical or mental disability or a language delay. The desire to develop and make a meaningful contribution to society is the starting point for everyone.

The ChristenUnie strives for valuable and sustainable basic jobs, matching people’s talents and possibilities. We believe in the power of (eye) contact, and therefore advocate for utilising work managers in neighbourhoods and neighbourhoods. They enter into a close and accessible conversation about the possibilities to become, or remain active in, the labor market. When connecting education with the labour market, we have an eye for people with a vulnerable (employment) position, such as people with a zero-hour, flex or temporary contract. Volunteers are the cement of society and we want to appreciate them in that way. We organise a local volunteer day every year and give civil servants the opportunity to do a number of days of volunteer work every year.

Prevention and caring
The ChristenUnie strives for a healthy society. The local prevention agreement will be leading in our local policy, and we encourage healthy eating and exercise. In addition, we contribute to clean air, for example by making the public space increasingly smoke-free, and focusing on a car-free city centre. In addition to physical health, we pay attention to the mental health of residents. A stable mental situation gives a person the room to be part of society, and to make contact with others. The ChristenUnie strives for a city without loneliness, and wants to create the opportunity to start the conversation about significance. The elderly, young people and students receive extra attention.

The ChristenUnie believes in the power of sport and exercise for both physical and mental health. An energetic and healthy life has a positive effect on various aspects of our existence. That is why exercise is important, and we stimulate top sport and recreational sports for all ages and groups. We see sport and exercise as an integral part of municipal policy, and encourage Utrecht residents to exercise sufficiently in a multifaceted living environment.

Neighbourhood approach and informal care
As ChristenUnie we remain committed to those who need support for a short or longer period of time. We want to offer perspective to those who fall between the cracks of society, or are victims of the sometimes bureaucratic system. We encourage the social safety net for these people and encourage Utrecht residents to be there for others. We are proud of the way we take care of the vulnerable youth in Utrecht, but attention is still needed to continue to be aware of all young people, and to offer them perspective in a good education, a home and a job.

Trust and cooperation between professionals makes Utrecht’s youth care good quality. The step to care must remain easily accessible so that help can be provided in time, and heavier care prevented. The neighbourhood-oriented approach, by means of neighbourhood teams, is a proven means of achieving this. Informal carers are of great value for care and support. They offer quality of life and a dignified existence. The ChristenUnie considers it important that the municipality assists informal carers in their care tasks. We want to offer informal carers a punch card with which they are relieved of their care tasks at a time of their own choosing.

Utrecht without poverty
The ChristenUnie is fully committed to combating and preventing poverty. Every inhabitant of Utrecht who lives in poverty is one too many. As a growing and thriving city, Utrecht has the people and resources to support residents. We are therefore committed to increasing the poverty budget and good accommodation for the food banks.

We strive for a city where no child has to grow up in poverty. That is why, in addition to existing initiatives, Utrecht is developing an action plan to allow children to participate structurally in the field of sports, culture and education.

Debt can get in the way of active participation. The municipality uses various devices in order to absorb debts. The ChristenUnie argues for larger-scale cancellation of debts, because this significantly increases the perspective in working and living. We are starting a pilot in which we cancel all debts for some residents from the moment they report for help (instead of after 'proven good behaviour'). We then guide them in remaining debt-free.