Permits for temporary housing up 28 percent

The number of permits issued for the construction of temporary homes increased significantly last year, according to the Statistics Netherlands (CBS). In total, almost 4,200 permits were issued, which is 28 percent more than a year earlier and is the largest number in years. According to Statistics Netherlands, the number of permits granted indicates the number of homes that will soon be built.

To achieve the government's target of 981,000 new homes by 2030, at least 100,000 new homes must be added annually. Temporary housing can contribute to that goal because it does not have to comply with less strict rules. Therefore, the time between the granting of a permit and construction is often shorter than with normal residential construction, which often takes two years. However, a temporary home can usually remain there for a maximum of ten years.

Most temporary homes licensed last year are intended for a mixed target group. This means these homes must unite different groups, such as students and entry-level workers. Just under a third of the licensed homes are intended for status holders and refugees, including Ukrainians with a temporary residence status. The share of licensed temporary housing intended for migrant workers increased in recent years to 21 percent in 2022, but fell to 6.5 percent in 2023, according to CBS.

Provinces with more inhabitants generally permit more temporary housing. Noord-Brabant, for instance, issued the most permits for temporary homes from 2019 to 2023, namely more than 3.2 thousand. Drenthe and Zeeland, however, were the provinces with the fewest temporary homes licensed, namely less than 300 each, CBS reports.

Overall, the almost 55,000 permits issued last year for the construction of new homes are still considerably higher than the increased permits for temporary homes.