Housing corps. back Minster's plan to "top-up" existing buildings with new homes,
Almost all housing corporations support Housing Minster Hugo de Jonge’s plans to “top up” existing buildings with new floors to create more homes. Some plan to start doing this soon, BNR reports after surveying the 50 largest housing corporations.
All but four corporations said they’ve started to make inventories of where extra residents can be accommodated on top of existing tenants. Five already have concrete plans to begin doing so. De Jonge thinks he can create about 100,000 extra homes without needing to break ground in this way.
The housing corporations are enthusiastic about the idea. “In addition to the tax burden and the high construction costs, the lack of our own land locations, in particular, means that we cannot build as much as we want,” a spokesperson for Vivare in Arnhem told BNR. The corporation seriously considers top-ups as an “efficient use of space.”
Haag Wonen in The Hague likes the plans for similar reasons. It already has to make homes more sustainable. “That may be a reason to immediately investigate a complex for a top-up,” a spokesperson told the broadcaster.
Some housing corporations already have specific buildings or neighborhoods in mind. Patriominium in Groningen is looking at post-war apartment buildings. Pre Wonen in Meerstein plans to do its first top-ups in the Beverwijkse neighborhood. WoonFriesland already published plans to top up buildings in Leeuwarden. And Woonbond announced an experiment with three wooden pre-fab homes placed on a building in Rotterdam to “gather knowledge and information and gain practical experience.”
Other housing corporations first want to talk to policymakers and inform their tenants before commenting to the media, BNR found. DeltaWonen is consulting with the municipalities of Zwolle and Kampen about rules and locations, a spokesperson said. SZW from Zwolle is doing the same.
Some are more hesitant. Hof Wonen in Rotterdam told BNR that many existing buildings don’t have the strength to support additional floors. Others expect roadblocks in the form of high costs, too little parking, and resistance from locals.
Rochdale is, therefore, focusing on adding extra floors to existing building plans. “A much shorter blow,” a spokesperson told BNR. “And much cheaper.”
