Netherlands agrees 18-month plan for extra homes for people in urgent need

The Dutch government has agreed with provinces, municipalities and housing associations to create additional homes for people who need somewhere to live quickly, including recent graduates, people who have recently separated and refugees with residence permits. The plan aims to provide the extra accommodation within 18 months, while easing pressure on social housing and asylum reception, the government says. [1]

The homes are to be created through options such as prefabricated temporary housing, converting vacant buildings and shared homes. The agreement also sets a target for municipalities to provide additional housing for 20% of the permit-holders they are required to accommodate. Housing associations will help municipalities meet that target.

The government says the plan will clear the backlog of permit-holders still living in asylum reception centres. It stresses that the accommodation will be additional to existing social housing, rather than taken from the current stock.

The national government says it will provide municipalities and housing associations with targeted financial support, expertise and staff capacity. The agreement also sets out the roles of national, provincial and local authorities and housing associations.

Housing minister Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan said the extra homes would help people find affordable accommodation sooner and reduce pressure on social housing. Asylum and migration minister Bart van den Brink said the agreement could ease pressure on reception centres and help permit-holders build their lives in the Netherlands. He also said the government would continue working to limit migration and speed up returns. [1]

The government says it is preparing a replacement bill for a proposed ban on giving permit-holders priority for housing. The announcement does not set out how that proposal would interact with the new agreement.