“It is a problem. There are far too few rental properties anyway,” says spokesperson Mathijs ten Broeke.
According to him, tenants are indeed increasingly being ‘driven’ towards the private rental sector. “Because the social housing market and the owner-occupied housing market are not accessible to these people, they seek refuge elsewhere.”
With these just published figures about the declining number of rental properties in the private sector, it may seem, according to the Woonbond, as if the problem also lies there. But that is not the case. It is all a ‘logical’ consequence of political decisions made by the cabinet in recent years, he says.
Both the private rental sector and the housing association sector are heavily taxed by the government.
If it were up to the Woonbond, profit tax for housing associations would disappear. “The real problem lies there. Every year, 1 billion euros disappears from the social rental sector due to profit taxes. They are the party par excellence that can provide more homes without a profit motive. If politicians are smart, they will ensure that they can build more homes.”