News item | 03-12-2024 | 4:45 PM
The government will support homeowners to repair or prevent problems with the foundation of their house. €56 million is available for this over the next four years. The government is mainly focusing on improving the provision of information, practical guidance for homeowners and expanding the options for obtaining a loan for foundation repairs.
Today, Minister Mona Keijzer of Housing and Spatial Planning (VRO) sent a progress letter on the national approach to foundation problems to the House of Representatives about this national approach to foundation problems, partly on behalf of the ministers of the Ministries of Infrastructure and Water Management and Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature.
The government will improve the provision of information by setting up a national information point and bringing together information about the condition of the foundation and the foundation risk. In addition, homeowners receive support through research, advice and practical guidance. This starts in a few areas where there are urgent foundation problems with various causes.
New design of the Sustainable Foundation Recovery Fund
The 3rd step with which Minister Keijzer wants to help homeowners in concrete terms is to broaden the Sustainable Foundation Recovery Fund (FDF). This was established for homeowners who cannot obtain a loan for foundation repair through the regular mortgage market. The FDF offers a mortgage loan with adjusted conditions, such as payment according to ability to pay, to make it financially possible to repair the foundation. Not everyone can use the fund yet. There are currently 7 municipalities connected. The Ministry of VRO, the board of the FDF and the fund manager SVn will be developing a new national structure in the coming months – in consultation with municipalities, banks and insurers. The aim is for the new FDF to come into effect on July 1, 2025.
Elaboration of national approach
Damage to the foundation of a home or building is becoming increasingly common due to the aging of buildings, subsidence and the changing climate. The government will further develop the national approach to foundation problems in the near future. The basis for the approach is the Well-founded advice from the Council for the Living Environment and Infrastructure from February 2024.
In the elaboration, the government is exploring various scenarios for a multi-year approach. To this end, advice is being drawn up in collaboration with fellow authorities, building owners and the financial and construction sectors. It will also be discussed together with the construction sector, building owners and knowledge institutions how foundation repair companies can innovate and scale up. This is necessary because they currently do not have sufficient capacity to carry out the necessary foundation repairs when demand increases.