Social housing for more people

The PvdA and the ChristenUnie want to increase the income limit for social housing to 43,000 euros.

Tuesday the two parties want to present this proposal to Minister Blok for Housing during the budget debate. The limit to qualify for social housing is now at 34,000 euros.

rijtjeshuis
M.Minderhoud
Wikimedia commons

People with incomes just above that threshold oftentimes have a hard time finding and  affordable rental because they rely on the private sector, states  Labour MP Monasch. Rental homes in the private sector often start around 800 euros and that is more than this group can afford. In addition, the private sector doesn't build enough low rental housing in the private rental sector, according to Monasch.

The housing federation is pleased with the proposal of PvdA and CU, because they also addressed the issue earlier, announced director Paping. If not for high-rent homes, people with modest middle income have nowhere to turn now.

It is expected that the proposal of PvdA and CU, given earlier voting statistics on the income limit, can count on a majority in parliament. The SP already announced it will support the proposal.

The income limit will increase for five years in the proposal of PvdA and CU. The European Union provides the ability to temporarily shift the income limit if the private sector does not offer adequate rental housing at a reasonable price. After those five years, it is again determined whether the tenant still qualifies for social housing, depending on the demand in the private sector and the income of the tenant, according to the proposal.

The housing federation is not happy about the temporary nature of the proposal. It is a significant deterioration of the rent protection for tenants with modest middle income. After five years they will still have nowhere to turn to, but the commercial market with high rents, according to Paping.