PM Rutte: Netherlands to build homes for 24,000 refugees

The cabinet, municipalities and provinces reached an agreement on housing for 24 thousand refugees with residency permits, Prime Minister Mark Rutte annoucned. Municipalities will build simple, temporary homes for 14 thousand refugees in the short term and homes for another 10 thousand will follow later. In total it involves some 3,500 homes with at least 4 people living in them, NOS reports. Municipalities that do not comply with these agreements, will be fined. National and regional agreements are being made about where these homes will be placed. In addition to homes for residency permit holders, each province will get another 2,500 places in emergency shelters next years, which the provinces will control. That means that the municipal emergency 72 hour shelters will no longer be necessary. Municipalities will also be paid more money for the 72 hour shelters, worked back over this year. The compensation increases from 40 euros per person per night to 100 euros.