News item | 13-02-2025 | 10:00
Minister Mona Keijzer (Housing and Spatial Planning) today sent the adjusted Bill Reinforcement Direction of Volkshuisvesting to the Lower House. The bill ensures that governments can steer on how much, where and for whom they are going to build. The law must ensure sufficient affordable homes, shorter procedures and equal opportunities for urgent home seekers.
The proposal was adjusted on a number of points compared to the proposal that the previous cabinet sent to the Lower House in March last year. The adjusted proposal states that two thirds of the new homes to be built in the Netherlands must be affordable for people with a medium and low income. Moreover, it is explicitly arranged that 30% of the new -build social rental homes must be per region. In addition, this bill ensures that in addition to informal care homes on their own yard, homes also become permit -free for first -degree family members. The so -called ‘ladder for sustainable urbanization’ for housing is also being canceled. This ensures that the construction procedures outside built -up areas become shorter.
Mona Keijzer, Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning: “The housing shortage is high. 100,000 homes must be realized per year. The Public Housing Direction Act provides the legal instruments for governments to build faster, sufficient and the right homes together with market parties. It is important that people with an average income in all municipalities have a chance of an affordable home. I also think it is important that people can continue to live in their own environment for as long as possible or take care of each other. That is why I want to make a family home on my own yard easier for first -degree family members. Think of a tiny house for your own children or for grandma or grandpa. ”
Elaboration two thirds affordable in new construction
The regulations state that with a lot of social rent, municipalities have to build 40% of the new construction for middle incomes and municipalities with little social rent have to build 30% social rental homes. Added two thirds of the housing to be realized in the region must be affordable and 30% social rent. These percentages do not apply to project or municipal level, but at regional level. In this way there is room for municipalities to determine themselves in which neighborhoods or neighborhoods the affordable homes are realized. The same affordability task applies to provinces. Provinces will ensure that the sum of all new construction per region adds to two thirds and 30% social rent.
Building permit-free informal care and family homes on your own yard
Building an informal care or family home on existing plots at a home can offer a solution for a large group of people who want to continue living in their own environment for as long as possible, but also for children who cannot find affordable homes. For this purpose, the proposal from Minister Keijzer to allow- within the conditions to work out- that an informal care or family home may be built on its own yard-free. In addition to the previously consulted draft Decree on the Direction of the Volkshuisvesting Region, Minister Keijzer proposes to make this regulation, in addition to informal care homes, also apply to family members in the first degree.
Delete the ‘Ladder for sustainable urbanization’
In the current rules, a new housing location must be substantiated that there is a need for those homes. If a location is Buitenstadelijk, it must be substantiated why housing is not possible in built -up areas. This obligation is called the ‘ladder for sustainable urbanization’. The large housing task makes it necessary to speed up the use of both indoor and outdoor locations for housing by removing unnecessary barriers and bottlenecks. The ladder brings extra research costs, time and costs and can therefore slow down and make implementation of housing projects. That is why Minister Keijzer proposes to cancel the ladder for new housing locations. This makes housing at outdoor city locations easier and faster.
On the Institutional Direction of Public Housing
The bill consists of four pillars: 1) control over where, how much and for whom is being built; 2) the realization of sufficient affordable homes; 3) shorter procedures; 4) Equal opportunities for urgent home seekers.
Within pillar 1, the government, provinces and municipalities get the right legal tools to steer better and faster on how much, where and for whom is being built. Governments can use all instruments of the Environment Act. As a result, rich and provinces with instruction rules and decisions can make legal knots, for example about housing locations.
Within pillar 2 it is about realizing sufficient affordable homes and a good regional distribution between municipalities. At regional level, two thirds must be made affordably and 30% social rent. Municipalities with fewer social rental homes than the national average must build 30% social rental homes. Municipalities with more social rental properties than the national average must build 40% for middle incomes. For example, people with medium and low incomes have a chance to win a home in the entire region.
Within pillar 3 it is about shorter procedures to speed up housing. For housing projects from 12 homes there will be one course to court instead of two. With these projects, the administrative court rules within six months, the appeal is treated accelerated and the reasons for the appeal must be submitted faster. In order to accelerate housing, the ‘Ladder for sustainable urbanization’ is also deleted and building on their own yard for family and informal care homes is permit-free.
Within pillar 4, the focus is on a fair distribution of urgent home seekers across the region. All municipalities in the region must contribute to the housing of urgent, for example people who leave (care) institutions, or young people who leave youth care. Groups are designated nationwide that will be regarded as urgent home seekers in all municipalities. Municipalities must accommodate these urgent home seekers with priority. All municipalities in the region must contribute to the accommodation of these groups and make agreements on this. For example, urgent home seekers have a chance to win a home throughout the region.