Poverty Among Tenants Increases

Poverty among tenants increases. Besides the housing costs already 724,000 tenants can’t afford the expenses for living. In 2017 there are 891,000 tenants to be expected to live officially in poverty. This concludes the Woonbond, based on their own research, on Thursday.  Since July 1 of this year, the government allows that the rent may rise faster than the inflation. To compensate the landlord levy imposed by the government, many landlords raise their rents considerably. Coupled with rising energy prices and lagging incomes, this government policy put much pressure on the wallet of the tenants, says the Woonbond. Adjusting rental policy Woonbond director Ronald Paping calls the government to adjust its rental policy. At this moment about half of the tenants (1.3 million households) are eligible for housing benefit , based on their income. Yet half of this has after paying the housing costs, insufficient money left to live, according to figures from the Woonbond. There are significant regional differences in housing cost. Tenants in the northeast of the Netherlands are in the least favorable position. This is mainly due to the low incomes of tenants in Drenthe and Groningen.