Attention for starters during housing debate in Emmen city council

Alderman Jisse Otter presented the most important principles during the committee meeting. Its content is at odds with the previous vision, in which shrinkage and the scrapping of housing locations predominated. ‘Pruning makes it bloom’, was the title. Perhaps an idea to change that to ‘growth makes you bloom’, joked PvdA councilor Henk Smit.

Because the council is aiming high: almost 4000 homes and 700 social rental homes must be added up to and including 2030. In the latter category of social rent, 2,500 existing houses are also being renovated or demolished and replaced by new construction. The concept was broadly approved by most political groups.

Of course there were also comments and caveats. One of the most heard was attention for starters. “This group is endlessly on a waiting list for a rental home, cannot get a mortgage and are confronted with sky-high house prices,” said Claudia Ester-Schokker (SP), who spoke of a disrupted market.

Jenneke Ensink (LEF!) wants to ensure that everything is left to the market. Starters who see suitable homes in front of them are being hijacked by investors. Ensink had doubts about the obligation to self-occupy mentioned in the draft housing vision will offer sufficient solace. “Don’t be blind to that. Because how do you want to maintain that? Do we have enough people for this?”

According to her, considering a target group regulation for certain residential construction locations is a possible additional option. With this instrument, a municipality can retain new-build homes for certain groups, such as first-time buyers.

There is deferred maintenance within part of the Emmer housing stock, according to Leon Herbers (Wakker Emmen). “Starters who encounter additional costs due to hidden defects are not financially beneficial at all.” According to him, it is therefore important to monitor affordability.

Henk Huttinga (ChristenUnie) gave a warning that expansion can lead to too great a degree of urbanization of the area. Be careful that Emmen does not lose her green lungs, according to the party chairman.

In view of the developments in the housing market in recent years, Johan Scheltens (VVD) argued that the municipality’s vision for housing should be regularly examined. “Recalibrating it once every five years is not enough. You may have to take a good look at it once every two or three years.”

There is nothing wrong with more space for new forms of living, as described in the vision. But beware of mismatches, he warned. “A tiny house in a residential area, for example, is not a sight.” A completely new location or a location on the outskirts is more suitable for such homes, says Scheltens.

Alderman Jisse Otter emphasized that the ambition, which is based on the expected growth in the number of households, is high. “We hope to tap 400 homes this year.”

According to him, the extra rental homes will be the biggest challenge. “We discussed this in the performance agreements with the housing associations. Normally, those conversations take place in reasonable harmony, but that could become less.”

According to the alderman, the housing associations see no need for additional construction. “The waiting lists are not increasing that fast in their eyes, so why add more stones?” Yet Otter plans to conduct a ‘hard lobby’ to get the corporations on board.