Splitting larger homes will do more to quickly help housing shortage than construction
The Dutch government’s plan to ease the housing crisis by developing at least 30 large-scale construction sites will deliver little relief in the short term, the national government architect said early Thursday, arguing that dividing existing homes into multiple units is a faster and more effective response for people currently seeking housing, NOS reports.
Francesco Veenstra, the Government Architect and a key adviser to the government on housing and spatial planning, said large new construction projects are important but primarily for the long term. For immediate impact, he said, the focus should be on better use of the existing housing.
Home splitting allows owners to convert a single house into several independent dwellings. According to Veenstra, Dutch row houses, which make up a large share of the national housing supply, are particularly suitable for this approach.
Municipalities are responsible for allowing such conversions, but Veenstra said national leadership is also needed. He said the cabinet should provide “a bit of direction” by adjusting laws and regulations.
The coalition government of D66, VVD and CDA has placed its main emphasis on developing at least 30 major new housing locations, which could include new neighborhoods or entirely new cities. Research by NOS Nieuwsuur shows that 21 of those locations had already been identified before the coalition agreement. The remaining nine sites have yet to be designated by the newly appointed housing minister, Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan.
Veenstra told NOS that he sees little value in building completely new cities. Expanding housing in or next to existing urban centers makes more sense, he said, “because we already have all the infrastructure there, such as schools, shops, roads and public transport.”
“We have a rich architectural tradition in the Netherlands. Let’s use it to create livable neighborhoods,” Veenstra said. “If too many people live together in one building, you are not working toward a resilient society.”
During last year’s parliamentary election campaign, D66 proposed tackling the housing crisis by building 10 entirely new cities. Party leader Rob Jetten, now prime minister, highlighted that ambition during several campaign debates. Housing experts, including professor Peter Boelhouwer, were sharply critical of the idea at the time.
The proposal for 10 new cities does not appear in the current coalition agreement. Instead, the document commits to developing at least 30 large housing locations, mirroring a key promise from the VVD election platform.
