Amsterdam families may soon find even greater shortages of adequate affordable housing

Only about half of Amsterdam’s families with four or more people living under one roof reside in a social housing flat that provides enough space. Even more families living in affordable housing are expected to remain in spaces that are too cramped, said social housing corporation Rochdale.

The number of families in too-small social housing apartments is expected to rise by 25 percent in the next eight years if no changes are made, the organization told Het Parool. "The point is not that there are too few large homes, but that there is a mismatch. Large homes are often occupied by relatively few residents," said Rochdale strategy manager Pepijn Bakker.

An analysis by Rochdale determined that Amsterdam has a supply of over 50,000 social housing homes with four rooms or more. About 14,000 households with four or more family members qualify for social housing in the capital, but only 7,200 of them live in a home with enough space.

Of the families needing more square meters, 4,700 live in social housing that is far too small. This will increase to 6,000 by 2030 without intervention.

Compounding the issue is that families occupying larger social housing apartments often remain in the space even after children leave the home, Bakker said. “But this is a tough problem. People often stay where they are. We have to tempt them to stay in that house for a much shorter period of time: a maximum of 22 years instead of the current average of 40 years. Then it will be more balanced.”

Bakker said the problem is that availability often does not match the needs of people who might consider moving. As a result, only a third of empty nesters are willing to move to a smaller apartment. More attractive options must be built for this group, with their practical needs taken into account as they get older.

“So [homes] without stairs, about 65 square meters in size, in various places in the city so that people can continue to live in their own neighborhood. These houses are rarely built. They are almost all studios,” Bakker said. “These are not reasonable alternatives for empty nesters. Historical figures from Woningnet show that 95 percent of the small group that does goes to a home with a surface area of 55 to 75 square meters.”

On top of that, residents of the capital often want to remain in familiar neighborhoods in their home city, as opposed to decades ago when the city was less attractive and rougher around the edges. “The migration out of the city was once attractive because Amsterdam was not a nice city at the time. Now everyone, and certainly the empty nesters, finds the city to be an ideal place to live.”

Without the social housing that fits the needs of the population, larger families will remain in cramped spaces. This stunts the development of children, who can suffer from more stress or who cannot find a quiet place to complete schoolwork at home. Older children are more likely to hang out on the street without access to personal space in the home. Additionally, having too many people in a home that is too small can lead to health problems caused by mold.