Amsterdam to solve housing crisis by 2040 by preventing homes becoming revenue model

Amsterdam aims to solve the housing crisis in the capital by 2040, the mayor and aldermen said in its Amsterdam Approach to Public Housing (AAV) on Monday. The solution is mainly in existing homes, they said. “They must become affordable again, be of good quality, and not be used as a revenue model. We are going to put an end to the latter with this approach,” said alderman Zita Pels (Public Housing).

To protect the existing housing stock, the municipality wants to stop the sale of social rental homes as much as possible and tackle vacancies. Furthermore, the mayor and aldermen are committed to building 7,500 new homes annually. They’ll also build between 2,500 and 3,000 temporary homes where people can live for a maximum of 15 years.

When building new homes, the city will mainly focus on homes for the elderly and families. “They, in turn, leave a home behind for first-time buyers on the housing market,” said the municipality.

The capital also wants more rental properties that cost up to 1,000 euros per month, so rentals in the middle segment. To this end, the municipality plans to make agreements with housing corporations about the supply of social rental homes below and above the capping limits.

The mayor and alderman also want fewer temporary rental contracts. “Amsterdam continues to lobby the government to abolish temporary contracts from private landlords,” the AAV said.