Construction of some 115,000 homes stalled, scrapped due to complaints procedures
By the end of 2024, the construction of around 115,000 homes had been postponed or canceled, largely because of objection procedures, trade association WoningbouwersNL told the Telegraaf. The organization to which most Dutch project developers and construction entrepreneurs are affiliated want politicians to make filing a complaint against a construction project less profitable by holding the objector liable for the damage caused.
“The lion's share of these homes are stuck in objection procedures. The builders are ready, the home seekers are eagerly waiting, but the projects are at a standstill. This is a system error that we need to resolve,” said director Coen van Rooyen of WoningbouwersNL.
According to Van Rooyen, many objection procedures have little to no substance but can still delay a project. “Sometimes even in the hope of a financial buy-out arrangement. In Rotterdam, a man demanded over 100,000 euros from a project developer as ‘compensation’ for the construction of a residential tower. These kinds of practices cost time, money and make homes unnecessarily expensive. Ultimately, it is the buyer who pays the bill.
WoningbouwersNL wants the government to amend the law so that objectors are held personally liable if they deliberately stall housing projects. “Anyone who objects and tries to stop a project but is ultimately wrong should pay for the damage. Not only that of the developer, but also of the future residents.”
The organization also wants the government to ban financial buy-out arrangements that have not been determined by the court. According to WoningbouwersNL, objectors sometimes see a profit model in delaying construction projects.
According to WoningbouwersNL, the new construction market is doing well. Last year, 31,958 newly built homes were sold, 43 percent more than in 2023. The organization expects the market to remain good in the coming years thanks ot the growing economy, rising wages, falling interest rates, and “increasingly extreme” housing shortage.
