Huisje Boompje Beestje

‘Huisje Boompje Beestje’ is a critical reflection of what young people are dealing with. Housing crisis, political chaos, working yourself to the bone. How do you keep going with no future to look forward to, and no present to feel at ease in?

The photo series ‘Huisje Boompje Beestje’ (“house, tree, pet”) reflects on a generation navigating housing crises, student debt, political instability, climate change and rising living costs. A Dutch expression which once symbolized stability and a predictable future, now feels increasingly out of reach.

The series consists of carefully staged images, each representing different facets of this reality: a distant government detached from its citizens, an idealized family life that reveals itself to be a fragile dream, and a work environment marked by exhaustion and disillusionment.

 By visualizing these issues, the series invites reflection on how societal structures shape individual futures. It challenges the viewer to ask themselves: what if ‘Huisje Boompje Beestje’ wasn’t an unrealistic dream anymore, but an achievable goal, just like it was for the generations before us?

 The project was produced and captured by photographer Sara Roos (27, Utrecht, the Netherlands) and created in collaboration with a large team of creatives, each contributing their own expertise. Behind the policies and statistics, there is a generation that wants to be heard.