Minister chooses 24 locations where she will accelerate housing construction

Housing minister Mona Keijzer has picked 24 areas where she wants to accelerate housing construction. By getting involved in these projects she is hoping to force a “breakthrough,” which would lead to the projects being completed more quickly than the usual seven to 10 years.

The areas that the caretaker BBB minister has chosen are in Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Noord-Brabant, Utrecht, Gelderland, and Flevoland. The ministry feels that these areas require a faster course of action.

Keijzer promised in a letter to parliament that she wants to ensure five “breakthroughs” this year. It differs per area and what this entails. The common denominator is that stakeholders such as municipalities, corporations, and construction companies will work together more intensively and thus make decisions more quickly. "How can it be done?" is the question that should be asked more often, according to Keijzer.

This approach is meant to ensure that the construction of at least 100,000 extra homes is completed. The minister is aiming for a confirmation that these homes will be built by 2026.

Examples of the designated locations are Oosterwolde and Pampus in the municipality of Almere. The other designated areas are in the municipalities of Amersfoort, Arnhem, Breda, The Hague, Ede, Wageningen, Eindhoven, Haarlemmermeer, Hoeksche Waard, Katwijk, Lelystad, Nijmegen, Heumen, Purmerend, Rotterdam, Den Bosch, Schiedam, Tilburg, Oisterwijk, Utrecht, Zaanstad, Lansingerland, Zoetermeer and Zuidplas. Some designated areas cover multiple municipalities.