Housing Minister Keijzer proposes easing rules for family homes on private property
Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning, Minister Keijzer, has introduced a proposal aimed at making it easier to build additional family homes on private property. The initiative, which aims to allow families to build homes for children or parents, would remove the current requirement for a permit.
The new plan comes as part of a broader housing bill introduced by the minister. Under current regulations, a permit is required to build a family dwelling, but Keijzer is seeking to eliminate this requirement. Details regarding the conditions for these additional homes, such as what would happen to the house if no direct family members reside there, are still under development.
Presently, an exemption exists for the construction of mantelzorgwoning, or caretaking homes, intended for someone in need of intensive care. However, strict rules apply: the caregiver must demonstrate a high level of care, and once the caregiving situation ends, no one else is allowed to live in the structure.
In addition to her push for easier family housing construction, Keijzer's proposal is part of a significant housing bill aimed at addressing the country's housing shortage. One of the key aspects of the bill is that municipalities will be required to ensure that two-thirds of newly constructed homes are affordable.
This bill, introduced last year by Keijzer’s predecessor Hugo de Jonge, had stalled before Keijzer revived it with some adjustments. The previous version mandated that municipalities meet certain goals for affordable housing construction, depending on their existing stock of social rental properties.
In municipalities with fewer social housing units, the plan required 30 percent of new homes to be designated as social rental. For areas with already abundant social housing, more than 40 percent of new homes were to be set aside for middle-income families or affordable ownership properties.
Keijzer's amendment now proposes that these targets should be set at a regional level instead of by individual municipalities, allowing more flexibility. This shift is intended to give municipalities the freedom to adjust housing projects based on regional needs.
In a letter to the Tweede Kamer, the Dutch parliament’s lower house, Keijzer explained, “This gives municipalities the space to distribute the affordable housing according to the needs of each region.”
However, housing experts have raised concerns. Aedes, the umbrella organization for housing corporations, has warned that municipalities could use this flexibility to delay social housing projects. The organization’s former president, Martin van Rijn, expressed concerns that the regional approach could lead to too much debate over housing allocations, further stalling progress.
“I'm concerned this flexibility will lead to inaction,” van Rijn told the FD newspaper. “This could turn into a delay tactic rather than an actual solution.”
Another notable change in the new bill is the removal of the “ladder for sustainable urbanization.” This provision, which required municipalities to explain why they wanted to build outside urban areas, is set to be scrapped. This change aligns with the wishes of a majority in the Tweede Kamer and has been welcomed by developers.
The elimination of this requirement will reportedly make it easier for municipalities to approve housing developments in areas outside the city center, allowing projects like additional residential streets on the outskirts. The decision has been met with mixed reactions.
The Rijksbouwmeester, the Dutch government’s architectural advisory body, has expressed concerns about the potential for developers to purchase land on the outskirts of cities and villages, potentially driving up land prices in these areas. The body argues that the policy change could result in speculative land purchases, leading to increased costs for future developments.
