Limited funds for new housing areas as government sticks to existing plans

The Cabinet will not provide funding for new infrastructure in areas it has designated for large-scale housing development, according to a letter to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament. Four regions had requested nearly 350 million euros, but they will receive 72 million euros from a separate housing fund.

A total of 17 major housing development areas had already been identified, each planned to include thousands of new homes with national government support. A few months ago, Housing Minister Mona Keijzer added four more areas near Hengelo and Enschede, Apeldoorn, Helmond, and Alkmaar.

The four regions proposed measures to connect the new housing developments to their surroundings. Alkmaar requested 122 million euros for projects including a new bridge, a rail underpass, and upgraded intersections, but will receive just 6.8 million euros. The Cabinet notes that Alkmaar has “expressed disappointment.”

The caretaker Cabinet considered the four regions’ proposals mostly acceptable but intends to give priority to commitments already established with the 17 previously designated areas.

Minister Robert Tieman and State Secretary Thierry Aartsen of Infrastructure and Water Management wrote, “We will keep engaging with these areas. It will be up to the new Cabinet to make decisions on them.”

Over the past few years, the Cabinet has launched numerous initiatives to speed up housing construction, driven by the goal of delivering 100,000 new homes annually.

Adequate infrastructure, including roads, public transport, bike lanes, and access routes, is considered essential to make these homes both accessible and livable. Yet, these plans face challenges from limited budgets, rising costs, and shortages of labor and nitrogen permits. The ministers noted that this leaves little room for new large-scale infrastructure projects beyond existing commitments.

On November 10, 2025, Tieman and Aartsen announced that the Cabinet had set aside roughly 2.5 billion euros for infrastructure projects aimed at speeding up housing construction. The funds are earmarked for roads, tram lines, bike paths, and other measures to improve accessibility for thousands of homes. An additional 877 million euros is available via the Area Budget for location-specific projects, including grid upgrades and soil cleanup.