Substantial investments in 20 vulnerable urban areas | News item

News item | 12-06-2023 | 15:34

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More community police officers, energy fixers who help with sustainability, prevent school dropouts, accelerate the construction of more affordable homes and district justice. Problems in the areas of education, poverty, health, housing and safety are tackled together within the NPLV.

“Our concern is for the vulnerable neighbourhoods,” says responsible minister Hugo de Jonge of Housing and Spatial Planning. “That is why this cabinet is investing heavily in these 20 areas with the NPLV. The ministries of OCW, JenV, VWS, BZK and SZW, 19 municipalities, residents and local partners are working together in the 20 areas over a period of 20 years to improve the quality of life and safety. By pooling money and manpower and an integrated approach, we ensure a powerful approach in those neighborhoods where it is most needed.”

Bundled cash flows, one counter

The Ministries of Education, Culture and Science, BZK and SZW will make €200 million available this summer in the SPUK Kansrijke district (**) to the 20 areas for the prevention of poverty and debt, resilience and resilience, reintegration, school and environment and development of the young child. The 19 municipalities can make use of this relatively easily, because the three ministries have bundled the money flows. This means that one application to the NPLV is sufficient instead of five.

Zaandam East: a good future for the youth

“As a municipality, we have been working for some time on strengthening the neighborhoods to give the children a good future and, thanks to the government, we are making real progress,” says Jan Hamming, mayor of Zaanstad.

“The help of the government is crucial. They support with manpower and money and that ensures that we can make a difference. Trust in the government is low among many residents. That is why we must be present in the capillaries of the neighbourhoods. We offer a helping hand to residents who need it, but we also set clear limits on what can and cannot be done and enforce them. The National Quality of Life and Safety Program ensures that we can invest for a long time, and that is desperately needed.”
The Southwest of The Hague: training residents for sustainability and renovation
Such a coherent approach also exists in The Hague Southwest. There, the municipality, housing corporations (Haag Wonen, Staedion, Hof Wonen), ROC Mondriaan and companies organize a short course in construction and technology for residents. Motivation is all that matters. After this training, these local residents start working for suppliers of the housing corporations to make homes in the neighborhood more sustainable and renovate. If problems such as homelessness and debts come to light, they are tackled together with the resident.

Last week, the first fifteen candidates started training as a painter in The Hague Southwest. A training to become an energy fixer will also start later. Energy fixers help households with energy measures and applying for an energy allowance. Here, too, work is being done on both making homes more sustainable and guiding job seekers in the neighborhood towards a job.

It is a good thing that municipalities will soon be able to apply for funds for such projects at a single counter of the NPLV, says Chris Schaapman, director of the National Program The Hague Southwest. “The problems of residents – and more importantly: the solutions – cannot be cut with scissors along the lines of the ministries. They require a long-term and integrated approach and budget. The SPUK Promising Neighborhood is an important step in the right direction.”

900 million euros The €200 million from the SPUK Promising district comes on top of the €900 million that was released from 2020 for the 20 urban areas associated with the NPLV. For example, €38 million from the Prevention with Authority program has been allocated to the 20 areas to tackle youth crime. For example, for using district justice
and preventing young people from leaving school early.
Just like border areas and shrinking regions, the 20 ‘NPLV areas’ are given priority for, among other things, the renovation of homes. It is expected that more than half of the 600 million euros will come from the Public housing fund
in the coming years in the 20 areas. More affordable homes are also being built at an accelerated pace. €158 million of the total of €962 million for the national Residential Building Impulse has been reserved for the 20 areas.

In addition, the 19 municipalities involved in the NPLV will receive €45 million for making 30,000 homes more sustainable (an average of €1,460 per home) from the National Insulation Program (NIP). Furthermore, an additional €35 million has been reserved for the 20 areas to tackle energy poverty. The energy fixers are also financed from this.

Vlaardingen Westwijk

“With the NPLV, the government has become a practical and real partner for us, in all social areas and for the long term,” says Bert Wijbenga, mayor of Vlaardingen. “In Vlaardingen Westwijk, residents have been struggling for three decades with serious problems such as poor health, loneliness, poverty and crime. As a municipality, we as a municipality are not able to break through this trend as quickly or as well as we would like on our own. That is why I am extremely grateful that the government wants to invest in Vlaardingen West for a long time.”

“Last year we drew up a social plan with an alliance of parties and residents. For example, energy fixers visit people who live in poorly insulated homes. We have also appointed an extra community police officer and boas. We stand next to residents and do not say: you have to do this and you have to do that. This is how confidence grows step by step, and with it quality of life and safety.”

the 20 urban areas are: Amsterdam Southeast, Amsterdam New West, Arnhem East, Breda North, Delft West, Dordrecht West, The Hague South West, Eindhoven Woensel South, Groningen North, Heerlen North, Leeuwarden East, Lelystad East, Nieuwegein Central As, Roosendaal Ring, Rotterdam South, Schiedam Nieuwland-East, Tilburg Northwest, Utrecht Overvecht, Vlaardingen Westwijk, Zaandam East.