€1 billion plan launched to build 3,000 affordable rental homes in the Netherlands

Dutch civil servants' pension fund ABP and asset manager CBRE Investment Management are launching a joint investment to build thousands of mid-segment rental homes across the Netherlands. With an initial capital injection of 350 million euros, the two parties plan to invest a total of 1 billion euros over the next five years.

The initiative will focus on constructing more than 3,000 sustainable and affordable rental homes aimed at the mid-market segment. The first completed project includes 121 rental units in the new Utrecht neighborhood of Cartesius. These homes mark the start of a broader national rollout that is set to continue throughout the year.

In the coming months, the partnership intends to finance around 700 additional new homes. The focus will be on projects that combine sustainability, affordability, and long-term housing solutions. ABP and CBRE have not yet specified the precise locations of these planned developments.

ABP board chairman Harmen van Wijnen emphasized the urgency of addressing the country’s ongoing housing crisis. “The housing shortage in the Netherlands remains persistently high, and many of our pension fund participants are stuck in a tight housing market,” he said.

“By investing in affordable rental homes, we are doing what ABP stands for as a long-term investor: building a good pension in a livable world,” Van Wijnen said.