News item | 23-12-2022 | 16:29
To also accelerate the sustainability of buildings managed by Owners’ Associations (VvEs), Minister Hugo de Jonge for Housing and Spatial Planning has simplified and broadened the subsidy schemes for making VvEs more sustainable. This now comes together in the Sustainability Subsidy Scheme for Owners’ Associations (SVVE). This will start in January 2023 and will run until at least 2028. The financing options for VvEs via the Heat Fund will also be expanded. The minister writes this in a letter to Parliament, also on behalf of the Minister for Legal Protection, Franc Weerwind.
Minister de Jonge announced in the Acceleration Program for making the built environment more sustainable that the pace of making homes more sustainable must be increased. About 20% of the total number of homes is part of a VvE. Because in a VvE complex all individual apartment owners jointly own the building, they experience challenges in making it more sustainable. An improvement in financing will help with this.
One subsidy scheme
With the Subsidy Scheme for Sustainability for Owners’ Associations (SVVE) there will be one scheme for making the entire VvE building completely sustainable: subsidy for energy advice, a sustainable multi-year maintenance plan (DMJOP), process supervision, insulation measures and sustainable heating technologies, such as heat pumps, solar boilers and central connection to the heat network. In addition, the SVVE makes it possible to apply for a subsidy for one insulation measure. Until 1 January, the VvE is still required to carry out at least two insulation measures in order to apply for a subsidy. The bar for eligibility for a subsidy is therefore lowered for VvEs. The maximum subsidy amount of € 10,000 per apartment will be increased to € 15,000 per apartment. Furthermore, when implementing a very energy-efficient package (ZEP), a subsidy is possible for professional construction supervision.
Financing for small VvEs via Warmtefonds
Since December 1, 2022, there has been financing by the Heat fund possible for small VvEs, that is VvEs with less than 8 apartments. Part of the financing is a ‘safety net’ for individual apartment owners who later prove unable to afford the financing. The other owners of the association therefore do not have to worry that the costs that the neighbor cannot pay will be recovered from them. This means that the financing for all individual apartment owners in the VvE is justified. More and more information about sustainability can also be found on the site for VvEs improvejehuis.nl.
Acceleration agenda
The improvements to the financing of VvEs is part of the acceleration agenda for making VvE buildings more sustainable. This acceleration agenda will be developed in the coming months in close cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and Security and the other stakeholders in this field. The House will be informed about this in the spring.
The following components are elaborated in the acceleration agenda:
- Acceleration of large VvEs. Joint efforts of all parties involved to allow large VvEs to take greater steps towards sustainability in the coming years;
- Supporting (especially small) VvEs, with priority in vulnerable neighborhoods that do not yet have a functioning VvE organization;
- Adjustment decision making. Adjustment of certain (decision-making) rules for VvEs in the event of sustainability;
- Improving information provision and unburdening. Improved information provision for individual apartment owners and VvEs and a nationwide market offering of care-free services;
- Improving financial support. Start of the Sustainability Subsidy Scheme for Owners’ Associations (SVVE) on 1 January 2023 and the financing of the Heat Fund for small VvEs from December 2022.