Amsterdam getting 6,000 new low-rent homes

The Amsterdam Tenants Association (ATA), housing corporations and the municipality set a goal of making apartments in the city more affordable for low- and middle-income groups. The aim of the agreement is the construction of 6,000 new social housing units over the next five years, with added emphasis on durability and energy efficiency, the city said in a statement this week. Social housing prices vary depending on the size of the apartment, but are never higher than 618 euros. Smaller apartments are capped at 576 euros. More of these apartments should be available to asylum seekers who are approved to stay in the Netherlands, people who transition from a life on the streets, and patients in need of in-home social or medical care. Aside from offering more affordable housing in newly-built apartments, the agreement's objective is to stablize the supply of social housing in the city. While city hall has to win the approval of the full city council to implement the plan, the members of the Tenants' Association and the Amsterdam Federation of Housing Associations can also block the plan from progressing. The main change from previous arrangements is that affordability of housing is the top priority. The agreement also outlines that any sale, demolition or liberalization of social housing should be compensated by construction of new social homes, so that there is always a sufficient stock present. If approved, the new deal will remain in effect through 2019.