Amsterdam strikes deal for up to 10,000 new affordable homes, more sustainable housing

The city of Amsterdam has struck a deal with the large housing corporations and rental associations active in the capital to build another 1,900 to 2,500 homes annually over the next four years. Additionally, the city wants the organizations to significantly improve the quality of 30,000 existing homes which they manage, as well as making sustainability improvements.

Combined, the organizations handle over 186,000 social housing units in Amsterdam. "With these agreements, the parties will continue the growth in the number of social rental homes and we will break the trend by accelerating sustainability improvements," the city wrote in a statement on Tuesday. "We will also work more closely on the quality of life in residential areas. All this with an eye for affordability for current and future tenants."

The agreement also forbids the sale of social housing units in night different neighborhoods to improve those areas and keep them affordable. Tenants will also have more say in the process of making the quality of the homes better.

"Every Amsterdam resident has the right to a good, sustainable and affordable roof over their head. The conversations about how to make this happen were sometimes difficult, but we managed it because we all want the same thing," said Reinier van Dantzig, the Amsterdam alderman in charge of housing policy. "I am therefore proud that we have arrived at a package for the next four years that brings pleasant, sustainable and affordable living one step closer for everyone."

Peter Weppner, who represents a collection of tenant associations under the organization FAH, said they compromised to reach the best deal possible. "We are very pleased with the increased role for communication and participation by tenants, and the FAH looks to the future with confidence," he added.

Anne-Jo Visser leads AFWC, which represented the housing corporations' interests in the deal. She said the four-year plan "ensures affordable and good housing in nice neighborhoods for everyone in Amsterdam."

The deal still needs to be approved by tenant groups, City Council, and the housing corporations' supervisory boards. They expect to sign the deal by mid-March, but will begin implementing aspects of the agreement already in January.