Amsterdam region to build 60,000 homes by 2020
Amsterdam and its surrounding municipalities plan to build 60 thousand homes in the region by 2020 - about 20 thousand more than in the original plans for the region in the period to 2020, Amsterdam alderman Laurens Ivens of Housing announced on Monday. About half of the planned new homes will be in the Dutch capital, the Financieele Dagblad reports.
The Amsterdam region decided to boost the construction of new homes after a problem was noticed about a year ago - the number of households in the region is expected to grow by almost 68 thousand by 2020. While the number of new planned homes was only 40 thousand. The region therefore ordered Fakton to investigate how many construction plans can be pushed forward.
The firm concluded that building 69,900 new homes in the next four years is feasible, according to the report Ivens presented on Monday. The municipalities agreed to build at least 60 thousand of those homes. Slightly less than the 69,900, but the municipalities are taking into account that some projects may be delayed or canceled.
"We have now taken three measures to enforce the acceleration", Ivens said. "For example, we formed a regional acceleration team with municipal experts. We are also in discussions with parties with significant land holdings, developers. And we are working on a joint list for approval for construction of the province of Noord-Holland."
Another problem facing the Amsterdam region, is that construction is become increasingly complex in the region, one of the authors of the Fakton report, Erwin Daalhuisen, said to Het Parool. "The next five years there is still sufficient capacity in the region. The hoes that the now want to build will be built - if everyone does their best. But after that the Amsterdam region is entirely dependent on inner city building. That is much more complex." he said to the newspaper.