Housing shortage: Young people delaying life choices, More adults live in holiday parks

The housing shortage is forcing young people to postpone important life decisions, ING said in a report on the housing market. Half of first-time buyers have delayed moving in together, getting married, or having children. More adults are also living in holiday parks full-time, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) stated earlier this month.

According to ING, 49 percent of first-time buyers have postponed having children for two years or longer. Roughly 66 percent who still live with their parents would love to move out but can’t find a home they like and can afford. About 75 percent said that if they do buy a home, both members of the couple would have to keep working to afford it. Two-thirds of first-time buyers feel powerless and frustrated about having to put their lives on hold.

“The fact that young people are postponing their life events due to the housing shortage has a major impact on their lives, but also on society,” ING said this month. “Think of living together later, having children later, and finding it more difficult to change jobs. In addition to the fact that it is difficult to obtain a home, it may also play a role that both incomes are needed, which may also hinder the desire for children.”

In general, first-time buyers would like their home to have at least three bedrooms, be in a safe neighborhood, and be close to work. They’d also prefer to have outdoor space, like a balcony or garden. About 23 percent would consider a tiny home, but 60 percent are against the idea. Only 5 percent would consider sharing a home with someone not in their family.

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported that just over 59,000 people were living in a holiday park full-time at the start of this year, 14 percent more than five years earlier. The national statistics office did not specifically investigate whether the increase was due to a lack of suitable housing elsewhere, but it did note that full-time residents of holiday parks tended to be one-person households, older, and not registered in the Netherlands for very long.

People living in holiday parks full-time are also slightly more likely to have problematic debts—10 percent in 2023, compared to the national average of 8 percent. And in 2022, 5 percent of holiday park residents received unemployment or social assistance benefits, compared to the national average of 3.3 percent.