Amsterdam asks for national aid to combat mold in social housing

Amsterdam’s city council is calling on the national government to provide financial support to housing corporations to address widespread mold and moisture problems in social rental homes, Alderman Zita Pels said.

Nearly 30 percent of the city’s social housing units have mold, Pels said, citing government policies over the past 20 years that have weakened housing corporations’ ability to renovate and maintain aging properties.

Research from Vereniging Eigen Huis shows that almost 20 percent of homeowners associations, or VvEs, currently lack sufficient reserves for critical maintenance.

Since 2023, Amsterdam has pursued a targeted approach to address mold and moisture issues. "Steps have been taken, but we are not there yet," Pels wrote in a letter to the municipal council.

"Small problems are resolved quickly, but structural problems often persist." She added that ongoing issues have led residents to lose trust in their housing corporations. Pels emphasized that resolving these problems requires the national government to take responsibility.