News item | 27-11-2025 | 16:07
The quality of life in the twenty areas of the National Liveability and Safety Program (NPLV) improved on average slightly more than the national average between 2018 and 2024. The quality of life in the NPLV areas still lags well behind the national average. This is evident from the progress report that Minister Mona Keijzer of Housing and Spatial Planning sent to the House of Representatives today.
The Liveability Meter shows that nuisance and unsafety have the greatest influence on the poor quality of life in the NPLV areas, followed by the type of homes in the neighborhood. The positive thing is that relatively more people work and residents earn more on average. A smaller proportion of children are also growing up in poverty, the number of young people with a suspicion has decreased and the risk of educational disadvantages has also decreased.
“It is good to see that the first developments of the area-oriented approach are becoming visible,” says Minister Mona Keijzer. “We are now seeing the first effects of the first three years of an approach that requires 15 to 20 years of effort. People often live in these neighborhoods with multiple problems in the areas of housing, safety, income or health. Six ministries are working in the NPLV neighborhoods with local parties and residents to turn the tide. The problems are persistent and require structural investments to improve the future prospects of the 1.2 million residents.”
Livability and new homes
The share of homes in the NPLV areas that are located in an area with a ‘weak’ or lower quality of life has decreased from 60% in 2018 to 55% in 2024. Nevertheless, the quality of life still lags well behind the national average of only 11%. Fewer people in the NPLV areas also experience their health as (very) good: that number is 5 to 10 percentage points lower than the average in the Netherlands.
There are relatively many cheap and poorly maintained homes in the NPLV areas. That is why houses are built and existing houses and social facilities are improved. With money from the Housing Development Incentive (Wbi) and the Start Building Impulse (Sbi) has started the construction of approximately 2,500 homes of a total of 33,000 homes in the NPLV areas. Between 2025 and 2029, another 50,000 homes and collective facilities such as schools will be improved and built.
In 2024, more than 7,500 homes were improved in the NPLV areas with money from the Public Housing Fund (VHF). Approximately 27,470 households were also supported in making energy-saving measures for a lower energy bill and a healthier indoor climate. A total of 8,298 social rental homes in the NPLV areas have improved in energy performance.
More people from welfare to work, less poverty
The share of workers in the NPLV areas has increased from 60% in 2018 to 64% in 2024. However, the average remains approximately 7% lower than nationally. The share of people on social assistance is also steadily declining. 8% of households lived in poverty in 2023, compared to 18% in 2018. This is in line with the national decline in poverty. However, twice as many households still live below the poverty line as the average in the Netherlands.
Various interventions – such as job guarantees for young people, extended learning time, guidance into work for people on social assistance and activating childcare – contributed to this. These interventions are funded, among other things, from the SPUK Promising Neighborhood 2023-2025, a bundled flow of government funding specifically for the NPLV areas. This year, the ministries of OCW, SZW and VRO have released another €400 million for the SPUK Promising Neighborhood 2026-2028.
More development time for children
The risk of educational disadvantage in both primary and secondary education decreased slightly in the NPLV areas, but remains higher than average in the Netherlands. In 2024, 11,088 children from the NPLV areas were eligible for preschool education, such as toddler care. About three-quarters of them actually participated. About 53,000 children in NPLV areas received extended learning time in primary school.
Nuisance and insecurity
Residents of NPLV areas experience almost twice as much nuisance and insecurity as the average in the Netherlands. Perceived insecurity has decreased slightly since 2018, although relatively less quickly than the average in the Netherlands. In almost all NPLV areas, more than half of the residents experience nuisance, with peaks of up to 70%.
The number of registered suspected young people aged 12 to 22 per 10,000 residents decreased slightly in 2024, in line with national developments. With the use of the Prevention with Authority program, the NPLV areas are committed to making young people resilient, preventing youth crime and punishing them if necessary. To continue these approaches, the NPLV areas have been able to apply for a second tranche of Prevention with Authority in 2025.
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