A step-by-step plan to solve the housing crisis

An 11-step plan to tackle the housing crisis

1. 01

   Encourage the construction of affordable rental homes

   Give developers subsidies, tax benefits or other financial incentives to build homes with lower rents. Stop discouraging entrepreneurship and focus on affordable housing.

2. 02

   Repurposing of vacant buildings

   Give developers more freedom to convert vacant buildings, such as old offices, factories or shops, into homes. This quickly delivers extra homes without breaking new ground.

3. 03

   Encourage sustainable and modular construction

   Encourage sustainable construction methods, such as modular housing, to shorten construction time and reduce costs. Allow every garden of more than 100 m² to host a modular tiny house where two people can register for ten years.

4. 04

   Promote home sharing and co-housing

   Encourage home-sharing and co-housing initiatives to use living space more efficiently and reduce costs for residents. Reward older people who share part of their home with young people, who in turn can keep an eye on them.

5. 05

   Financial support for tenants

   Instead of regulating rents, which deters investors, implement programmes that support tenants financially, such as housing benefit for low-income families.

6. 06

   Promotion of home ownership

   Stop taxing box 3 assets, because tax has already been paid on that money. Facilitate programmes that make buying a home easier, for example through tax benefits or favourable loan terms.

7. 07

   Support for vulnerable groups

   Make it easier for homeless people, migrant workers, refugees and people on low incomes to integrate into people's homes. Provide subsidies for this instead of limits per home. This is better for society as well as for tenants and landlords.

8. 08

   Encourage new homes

   Speed up the process for environmental permits and provide financial incentives for construction projects. Ensure that permits are processed within six weeks.

9. 09

   Promote the splitting of homes

   Allow the splitting of homes without strict parking standards as a guideline. Innovative solutions can help to use living space more efficiently.

10. 10

    Round table discussions

    Involve all stakeholders, such as local authorities, developers, tenant organisations and communities, in finding effective solutions. Organise regular meetings to come together.

11. 11

    Interest contribution

    Support developers with a temporary interest contribution for new projects. Lower interest leads to higher returns and more construction activity.

Together, these eleven measures form a concrete approach to tackling the housing crisis. It is important that the measures are tailored to the specific needs of different regions. Noord-Brabant faces different challenges than Amsterdam, and a solution that works in the Randstad does not automatically work in the rest of the country.