Home ownership out of reach for average Dutch worker
Buying a house is nearly impossible in large parts of the Netherlands for single-income Dutch households who earn an average income of 36 thousand euros, according to an analysis by mortgage adviser De Hypotheker. In the province of Utrecht, average single-income households can only afford 1 percent of the homes that are for sale, RTL Z reports.
De Hypotheker looked at the current range of properties for sale and checked what you can buy for 163 thousand euros - the amount that a single-earner with an income of 36 thousand euros gross can borrow. The mortgage adviser found that this group can only afford 6 percent of the total home supply in the Netherlands.
In Utrecht, the average single earner can afford only 1 percent of available homes. They also don't have much of a chance of buying a home in Noord-Brabant where they can afford only 2 percent of homes. In Noord-Holland it is 3 percent, 4 percent in Flevoland, and 5 percent in Zuid-Holland and Gelderland.
If the average single Dutch worker wants to buy a home, their best bet is in Groningen where 24 percent of the homes on sale cost 163 thousand euros or less. In Friesland it is 16 percent, in Drenthe 14 percent, and in Zeeland and Limburg 13 percent.
Average dual-income households - with a gross income of 60 thousand euros and a maximum mortgage of 285 thousand euros - are better off. In Groningen, 63 percent of the housing supply fall within their price range. They can also choose from around half of the available houses in Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, Flevoland, Zeeland and Limburg.
Utrecht is again the worst place for the Average-Joe-family to buy a home. Only 18 percent of the available housing fall into the affordable price range for the average dual-income household. Noord-Holland is only slightly better at 23 percent.
Michel van den Akker told RTL Z that it is "worrying" that it is nearly impossible for the average single Dutch worker to buy a home because this group is constantly growing. "It is therefore crucial that sufficient housing is available for average incomes", he said to the broadcaster.
