Quarter of municipalities' housing construction plans never broke ground
Dutch municipalities failed to complete over a quarter of the homes they planned to build over the past four years, according to research by NOS and the regional and local broadcasters. Of the over 357,000 homes municipalities planned to build between 2022 and 2026, they completed only 264,000, or 74 percent.
Like this election, the housing shortage was a key issue in the campaigns for the municipal elections four years ago. Most municipal councils formed at the time made big commitments to build a substantial amount of housing.
Some did just that, with a few even exceeding their ambitions. Zoeterwoude, for example, aimed to add 215 homes to its housing stock in four years, but ended up building 642. The Utrecht town of Oudewater’s goal was 120 new homes. It built 329.
Strikingly, Oudewater’s neighbor, Montfoort, was one of the worst-performing municipalities, completing only 30 of the 430 homes it had planned. Enkhuizen built only 57 of the 400 new homes it planned to build. Rheden, Waterland, Heemstede, and Bloemendaal also didn’t come near their targets.
The broadcasters surveyed all 342 municipalities and received responses from 280. Of the municipalities that responded, 61 percent are behind schedule, 17 percent fulfilled their promised construction, and 13 percent exceeded expectations.
The municipalities themselves have a more rosy view of their performance. 82 percent considered the performance satisfactory, good, or excellent, with many pointing out the numerous obstacles to overcome.
The most often mentioned obstacle is the locals’ time-consuming objection and appeal procedures. “These plans often encounter considerable resistance in the surrounding area, with residents frequently approaching the municipal council to voice their opinions of the plans,” the municipality of Krimpen aan den IJssel told the broadcasters. “Appeals are also regularly filed against zoning plans. Such procedures are very time-consuming and delay the start of construction for a long time.”
In Wageningen, for example, two major projects have been delayed by two years because locals took their objections all the way to the Council of State, the highest administrative court in the Netherlands.
Nitrogen is the second major delay cited by the municipalities. The uncertainty surrounding regulations is a real problem, municipalities said. “Because the national policy regarding nitrogen is constantly changing, many plans have been delayed,” said the municipality of Bloemendaal, located near a Natura 2000 nature reserve.
Rising construction and material costs, power grid congestion, a shortage of construction workers, and staff shortages at municipalities were also often cited causes for delays. Dozens of municipalities also mentioned the time-consuming construction and permit procedures. “Housing construction is an ongoing process,” said the municipality of Hollands Kroon. “Planning, research, participation, permitting, financial feasibility, collaboration with developers, and builders.”
