Amsterdam invests €2 million into homes for refugees

The city of Amsterdam is investing 2 million euros in housing for refugees - asylum seekers who were granted residency permits in the Netherlands. This money will be used as subsidies to encourage developers to turn private real estate into affordable housing, AT5 reports.

The college of mayor and aldermen feel that developers can definitely do more on housing for refugees. Too little new, affordable housing is being built, which is why responsible alderman Laurens Ivens is turning his sights on private real estate that can be turned into housing. He hopes that this financial support - subsidies of up to 10 thousand euros per affordable home - will help developers take that step.

"Developers can build more for refugees. With this funding we hope to help them over the threshold", Ivens said, according to AD.

Refugees stay in asylum centers until they have a home designated to them. This also means that they take up room needed for potential new asylum seekers. And living in an asylum center makes integration more difficult than if the refugee can actually move into and become part of a neighborhood. More housing for refugees will also remove pressure from housing associations, which have to find homes for refugees while at the same time keeping enough affordable homes available for other vulnerable groups and regular house hunters.

By next year Amsterdam aims to build 2,700 extra homes for refugees. The city is doing so mainly by turning empty office buildings into living space.