For the first time in ten years, there is again a minister of spatial planning – and he wants to live up to his title. “Public housing is back,” said Minister Hugo de Jonge (CDA) in his national construction and housing vision presented on Friday. The key word in this is direction: as far as housing is concerned, this must again be placed more with the central government instead of with the market and local authorities, in order to pull the stalled housing market out of the doldrums.
De Jonge is in a hurry: the goal is to have 900,000 additional homes built by 2030 to make up for the increasing housing shortage. That equates to approximately 100,000 homes per year. That number should be achieved by 2024. Last year, nearly 69,000 homes were built.
At the beginning of next year, it should be clear for each region how many additional homes will be built in the next ten years, which type, in which segment and in which locations.
More affordable housing
Two-thirds of new homes to be built must be in the affordable segment. This concerns 350,000 owner-occupied homes (this year up to 355,000 euros) and medium rent (currently up to 1,000 euros per month). And about 250,000 social rental homes. They should be spread across the country. Every municipality must have at least 30 percent social rent.
At the moment, only 43 percent of new construction is ‘affordable’, while there is a great need for this. “If we leave housing to the free play of forces, the law of the strongest applies and people get into trouble,” says De Jonge.
How do you break that game? De Jonge wants to make binding performance agreements with provinces, municipalities and housing associations. But the question is how enforceable they are. He has the landlord levy as an asset for the housing associations: this maligned measure will only be revoked if housing associations build sufficient social rental homes, the cabinet decided.
It is more complicated for local authorities: there are few means of pressure. De Jonge hopes that the Environment Act, which will come into effect next year, will provide sufficient legal ground to continue housing plans if local authorities fail to act. In addition, a proposal is being drawn up for a ‘law to strengthen the direction of public housing’. But such a legislative process takes a long time and he has no time to wait for it.
The game itself also makes directing complicated. The fact that housing construction is currently not getting off the ground is due to a variety of reasons. Procedures take a long time: on average it takes ten years to build a house, the construction of which takes ‘only’ two to three years. Capacity shortages and lack of knowledge on the part of municipalities ensure that permits are not granted on time. Construction is struggling with a shortage of personnel and a shortage of materials, which are also becoming increasingly expensive. Land prices are high and then there is still a nitrogen problem, causing projects to come to a standstill.
It is also not always easy to find space for new homes, because infrastructure, nature, energy and climate adaptation also require space. Large-scale housing, one of the solutions proposed by De Jonge, is only possible if the water and soil system of an area is suitable for this, for example.
A ‘profit warning’ has therefore been included in the housing agenda: “There is no panacea and no quick solution to all problems.”
Glass half full
Yet the glass is ‘half full’, says Cees-Jan Pen, professor of entrepreneurial region at Fontys Hogescholen about the plans. “It is a step in the right direction. I see a pretty complete, realistic agenda and a good analysis.” De Jonge shows a lot of patience with his Rotterdam DNA of ‘deeds not words,’ says Pen. “He understands that the issue is complex and that he needs others.” But the plans say little about coordination with other ministries, says Pen. “And he remains general about what exactly is going to change.”
In addition to more control, De Jonge wants to speed up construction procedures – for example by increasing the civil service in local governments – and to encourage rapid housing construction. He has 7.5 billion euros available for opening up large-scale housing sites; to help municipalities build homes, 1.75 billion euros.
A version of this article also appeared in NRC Handelsblad on 12 March 2022
A version of this article also appeared in NRC in the morning of March 12, 2022