In Heerlen, cheap rental homes from private individuals may only become available to people and households that have a bond with the region. The city council is going to amend the housing ordinance for this.
According to alderman Jordy Clemens (SP), there is a scarcity of homes with a rent of up to 680 euros per month. “Both the waiting list and the waiting time are growing. This is reinforced because first-time buyers cannot find a suitable owner-occupied home and are therefore dependent on a rental home,” says Clemens.
No connection with Heerlen
At the same time, there are people who are looking for a home in Heerlen but have no specific economic or social ties with Heerlen, the alderman notes. In this regard, he points to the plan of the municipality of The Hague from the beginning of 2020 to encourage homeless people who have moved house to settle in shrinking areas such as the Heerlen region. That then led to fierce protest from Heerlen.
Also read: The fight against slum landlords: new room rental prohibited
“We see in almost all neighborhoods that people register in Heerlen and then apply for a benefit. Such families also report in primary education and preschool. That is a problem, also for the quality of life. put a stop to it,” says alderman Clemens. He says that the city council is now intervening to keep affordable rental housing available for the residents of Heerlen and to promote traffic flow.
Legally no problem
Clemens does not expect a legal problem because the intervention is permitted if there is a scarcity of rental properties in the lower price category. Students are not covered by the new regulation. The Heerlen city council still has to approve the approach on 23 February. But that is not expected to pose a political problem. The council previously agreed to a ban on the rental of new rooms.