Political parties make "empty" housing promises as billions are needed, professor says

When it comes to the housing market, political parties make "baseless" or empty promises, says housing market professor Peter Boelhouwer (TU Delft). He feels that the election manifestos lack the billions in investment that he believes would be necessary to boost housing construction again. The programs also lack implementation power and a sense of reality. The professor therefore remains less optimistic about the housing market in the coming years.

Several parties, such as the VVD, CDA, GroenLinks-PvdA, and NSC, write in their election manifestos that they want more "direction" for public housing construction instead of letting the market take its course. Boelhouwer does not go into the term "direction", "because what kind of direction is that? It's about assertiveness, which needs to be organized".

Above all, the government must provide much more money to seriously tackle the problem. Boelhouwer is thinking of 3 to 5 billion euros per year. With this money, even more projects can be brought out of their slumber, which the government is already doing with the housing and construction stimulus, for example. The money should also be put into the infrastructure for new housing estates. In addition, according to Boelhouwer, more civil servants are needed for the now often lengthy procedures. Incidentally, according to the professor, these also need to be revised: "Two years of litigation in the Council of State, that can't be true, can it?."

Overall, parties are not spending nearly the amount of money that Boelhouwer would like to see, according to the calculations by the Central Planning Bureau. D66 and GroenLinks-PvdA will each invest an additional 400 million euros. The CDA and ChristenUnie will provide an additional 200 million euros. The SGP is aiming for the same amount but wants to provide an additional 200 million euros for infrastructure in residential areas.

Boelhouwer lists several solutions proposed by both the left-wing and right-wing parties. For example, he believes that various political decisions make it too difficult for investors and developers. The land transfer tax has been drastically increased to 10.4 percent, and the new rules for the median rent also make it less attractive to build in this sector. Splitting houses into smaller apartments would also help the solution, he said, as would "adding a street" on the edges of villages or towns.

Furthermore, relaxing the strict building requirements would also help. Two-thirds of new builds already have to be affordable, but flexibility could help here. "In some places, this is simply not possible," Boelhouwer said. Then it makes more sense to build a more expensive house than none at all because more expensive houses also contribute to the flow. "Then, of course, there must also be a demand for it. More senior housing with communal facilities also ensures a flow and can relieve the burden on elderly care.

Boelhouwer also sees many opportunities "on the left". For example, he supports the SP's plan to map vacancies much better and then tackle them. Further abolishing the mortgage interest deduction and taxing the increase in the value of houses when they are sold could curb the rise in prices for first-time buyers. More financial leeway for housing associations, for example by abolishing an anti-money laundering measure and profits tax that is expensive for them, could also boost construction. In addition, cohabitation can be made more attractive without losing part of one's social benefits if the cost-sharing standard is applied less strictly.

However, to solve the housing crisis, many of these measures need to be taken, Boelhouwer emphasized. "There is no one 'golden bullet', you have to act on many fronts," he says.