Cabinet may force municipalities to allocate sites for housing construction

The Cabinet is considering forcibly designating construction sites due to the housing shortage. "If there is a too long discussion about whether a location is suitable, it may be necessary to make the decision," Minister Hugo de Jonge (Housing) said in an interview with De Telegraaf.

According to the CDA Minister, the arrival of Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers with residency permits has made it even more complicated to solve the problems in the housing market. "There are many groups that need housing. The task was already large and urgent, and it has now become even larger and more urgent."

He even worries that the planned 100,000 extra homes per year will not be enough. "It is not inconceivable that it should be more, especially to provide temporary housing."

De Jonge said it is difficult to estimate how many Ukrainians will need housing in the Netherlands in the longer term. "The numbers are tough to estimate. Shelter that is suitable for the longer term is necessary anyway. And then, of course, housing," said De Jonge. He thinks of solutions like converting office buildings into homes and prefab homes.