The outgoing cabinet sent a bill to the Lower House on Friday, with which municipalities are no longer allowed to give status holders priority over a social rental home. That writes Outgoing Minister of Housing Mona Keijzer (BBB) on X.
Last week, the Council of State ruled that Keijzer’s plan is contrary to the Constitution. Keijzer responded Laconically on that judgment and announced that the new legislation was still sent to the Chamber as quickly as possible. That has happened now. The new House of Representatives is expected to consider the proposal after the elections of 29 October.
‘Insmerable sham solution’
If the bill is adopted, municipalities can no longer give status holders priority over social rental homes because they are status holders. Municipalities such as Amsterdam, The Hague, Enschede and Groningen already expressed themselves against this “sham solution” that, in their eyes, would also be “impracticable”. Several municipalities indicated that they would not concern anything of a possible ban.
The director of housing association Ymere also showed himself NRC Critical about the bill. According to the director, Keijzer’s proposal gives the average home seeker only 0.3 percent more chance of a social rental home.
In its advice, the Council of State states that the abolition of the priority scheme leads to an even more unequal playing field: “If an instrument for compensating inequality is withdrawn for one particular group, while that group is not in an equal initial situation, this leads to unequal treatment.” Also Keijzer’s proposal is limited to the policy freedom that municipalities have in determining urgency categories, and it becomes so “very difficult” for municipalities to meet their legal task to accommodate status holders.
“Unfair”
Keijzer say looking at it in a different way than the Council of State. She finds the priority rule “unfair“. According to her and BBB leader Caroline van der Plas, the abolition of it would guarantee equal rights and opportunities for everyone. According to Keijzer, status holders” just like starters “would also have the opportunity to” live with family temporarily or to share a home. ” Outgoing Prime Minister Schoof mentions the bill ‘balanced’.
According to figures from the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA), between 6 and 10 percent of the released social rental homes have been going to status holders in recent years. If the priority is abolished, that part becomes smaller. That would mean that status holders have to stay longer in the COA reception locations. Those reception locations are already crowded. If status holders are forced to stay at asylum reception locations for a long time, this is according to the Justice and Security Inspectorate disadvantageous For their later integration, integration and mental health.
Status holders are not the only group that currently fall under a priority scheme for (social) rental properties. For example, Amsterdam gives priority to teachers, police officers and care staff. People who, for example, provide or receive informal care, whose house is being demolished or who, through a relationship break with their child (ren), can get the house out of an urgency statement with which they can get higher on the waiting list.
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