The Dutch government has published more details about its plans to get the residential market moving again and is hosting a housing summit with investors, developers, housing corporations, and local authorities later in the year.
The aim is to draw up agreements on stimulating more affordable homes and other housing construction, housing minister Mona Keijzer said at the publication of the government’s plans on September 17.
“Tackling the housing shortage is an absolutely top priority and it must be possible to realise 100,000 houses next year,” Keijzer said. This will be done “not only by building faster but also by making better use of existing buildings”.
The minister is making €5 billion available for housing construction in the coming years, and to accelerate building procedures. A further €2.5 billion has been allocated to develop infrastructure and public transport links.
The government has also pledged to continue to pressure the European Commission to take a speedy decision about expanding the options for state support in affordable home construction by both housing corporations and the private sector.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to appoint the EU’s first commissioner for affordable housing as well as set up an investment platform for affordable and sustainable housing. She has also promised to review state aid rules and their impact on the housing sector.
Some of the new homes will be realized through major housing developments and so far 16 NOVEX locations for large-scale development have been identified nationwide. In smaller towns and villages, the development will be in the form of an extra street. The government also plans to stimulate the building of 290,000 units for the elderly, including clustered and care developments.
The transfer tax for residential property sales, which investors pay over each property they buy, will be cut from 10.4% to 8% in 2026, which officials hope will stimulate more investors to enter the market.
Cutting red tape and reducing the time procedures take is also central to the government’s approach. The rules for repurposing existing buildings and subdividing large homes into smaller units will be simplified under the motto “yes, unless”. It will also be made easier for groups of friends to share a property.
In addition local authorities will be stimulated financially to take a proactive approach to allocating land and housing will have priority over wind turbines in areas where land for building is scarce. Any new regulations on sustainability and energy efficiency will come from Europe, rather than local initiatives, the minister said.
Photo: Mona Keijzer by Martin Beekman for the RVD
