News item | 13-09-2022 | 06:00
Minister De Jonge for Housing and Spatial Planning wants municipalities to be given more options to give their own residents who want to rent or buy a house in their municipalities priority over people from outside the municipality. Municipalities must also be given the space to allocate housing to people with a crucial profession, such as teachers, nurses and police officers. Due to an amendment to the Housing Act, which has been sent to the House of Representatives, this should be possible as of 2023.
Minister De Jonge: ‘The shortage on the housing market is being felt everywhere. Starters often cannot find affordable housing in their own village, because prices are skyrocketing due to significant outbidding. Often by people from outside the region. Even seniors cannot find a suitable apartment in their own municipality if they want to move on. It is crucial for the liveability and vitality of the region that people can continue to live in the village if they want to move. The revision of this law gives municipalities more control over this by being able to allocate more homes to residents from their own municipality.’
50 percent rent and buy
Municipalities were previously able to allocate 50% of the available rental homes on the basis of economic or social ties. Within that 50%, a maximum of 25% could be allocated to people with a local connection. According to the new Housing Act, municipalities are allowed to determine for the entire 50% how they divide this space between people with an economic, social or local bond. They may therefore also allocate the entire 50% to residents of their own municipality. Municipalities may also designate specific professions as crucial, so that they can help those professions in finding a home. In addition, in addition to rental homes, municipalities are now also allowed to allocate owner-occupied homes up to the NHG limit (€355,000 in 2022) on this land.
Revision Housing Act 2014
The basic principle of the Housing Act 2014 is the freedom of establishment. Everyone who is lawfully resident in the Netherlands has the right to move and settle freely. The instruments that the Housing Act 2014 offers in the field of housing allocation can limit this freedom. These fundamental rights can only be limited if this is necessary for the public interest in a democratic society. That interest lies in counteracting the unbalanced and unjust effects of a scarcity of housing. That is why the law regulates the conditions under which municipalities may use these instruments. Municipalities can set rules in their housing ordinance with regard to housing allocation. Within this system, amendments are proposed with the revision of the law that affect the granting of priority on the basis of local ties.
Introduction of the law
Municipalities make their own municipal housing regulations on the basis of the Housing Act. It contains the new local regulations. Municipalities can start using this as soon as the House of Representatives and the Senate approve the law and it officially enters into force. This is expected to be January 1 or July 1, 2023, depending on the treatment in both Chambers.