Study finds distribution center growth in Netherlands outpaces migrant housing supply
Municipalities in the Netherlands are not factoring migrant worker housing into the expansion of distribution centers, according to research by Argos and Cobouw covering 20 municipalities. The study shows that logistics development is accelerating while housing for the workforce is largely absent from planning.
In the municipalities surveyed, 800,000 square meters of additional logistics space is planned in the coming years. That is about 112 soccer fields.
Distribution centers typically create hundreds of jobs. Prior research shows that about half of those jobs are filled by migrant workers. That share is expected to rise, as the sector is projected to rely on about 1.2 million migrant workers by 2030.
The consequences of the housing gap are said to be already visible. Migrant workers often live in poor conditions. They also face high rents. Some become homeless when they lose their jobs. Despite this, housing is rarely included in municipal planning for new logistics projects.
The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations said it is preparing legislation. The proposal would give municipalities more control over migrant housing. The coalition agreement also states that housing must be arranged before additional workers are recruited.
Cees Jan Pen, lecturer in Sustainable Urban Transition at Fontys University of Applied Sciences, criticized the situation in comments to Argos. “I am surprised by the lax responses,” he said. He added that migrant housing is still mainly linked to agriculture and horticulture. It is not treated as part of logistics planning. “It is incomprehensible that authorities do not simply impose requirements on employers to treat their workers properly.”
Vinzenz Ziesemer from the Institute for Public Economics said housing is a missing factor in decision-making. “If you build a distribution center, you also have to think about housing,” he said. “That is being done too little.” He said this distorts cost-benefit calculations. “Companies benefit from the influx of migrant workers, but the costs fall on society.”
Ziesemer said he does not expect quick policy change. He pointed to strong lobbying from the business sector. This lobbying, according to him, aims to maintain access to migrant labor.
The government is also reviewing “shortstay” housing arrangements. These allow migrant workers to live in accommodations without tenant protections. Under the proposal, shortstay would be limited to 30 nights. After that, full tenant protections would apply, regardless of how the property is labeled.
