New Hague coalition promises 4,000 new homes per year, less traffic, less paid parking
After nearly two months of negotiations, the new coalition in The Hague, consisting of Richard de Mos, VVD, CDA, and Denk, has presented its coalition agreement. Among other things, they plan to build 4,000 new homes per year, adhere to the Asylum Distribution Act, tackle traffic bottlenecks in the city, and create more parking spaces, according to Omroep West's summary of the agreement’s main points.
The agreement is titled “For The Hague, with The Hague,” and the negotiators are pleased with it. “This does justice to the election results and signifies a new course and even a political revolution for the municipality of The Hague.”
Housing market
Like in the previous administrative period, the new coalition wants to build 4,000 homes per year. But they’ve lowered the mandatory portion of social housing from 30 to 25 percent. There will be more focus on building for “the middle-income groups.” More student housing will be built in Binckhorst and in Zuidwest. And caravan living will be viewed as a “fully-fledged form of housing.” The coalition is making €28 million available to accelerate construction projects.
Asylum reception
The municipality of The Hague will comply with the Asylum Distribution Act and continue the current asylum shelters, unless there are incidents. The coalition has scrapped plans for a reception center on Sportlaan. Instead, the location will be developed for permanent housing, including senior housing. Any new asylum shelters will be “small-scale locations that fit within The Hague’s neighbourhoods.”
Safety
The city will deploy 80 extra enforcement officers to “toughly crack down” on nuisance, waste, and harassment in the city. The municipality will increase camera surveillance and combat explosive attacks more fiercely. The new coalition is also “committed to the safety of women.”
Parking
The municipality is examining measures to reduce parking pressure per neighborhood. It is also scrapping all unimplemented extensions to paid parking. There will be no paid parking in Mariahoeve, Marlot, Kijkduin, and Loosduinen. Houtwijk will still get paid due to high parking pressure. Parking rates will not increase.
Traffic
The city is investing €100 million into improving traffic flow. The Hoefkade will be reopened to all traffic in the city, and camera enforcement there will be discontinued. The coalition also wants to commission research into a “fully-fledged ring road” around The Hague. And measures that hinder traffic flow in the city, such as road narrowings, must be stopped.
Other
An additional €8 million will be allocated for the management of public spaces, and an additional €290 will be invested in the “necessary maintenance of bridges and quays.”
The new coalition said it would “pull out all the stops” to combat illegal road blockades. Climate group Extinction Rebellion often blocks the A12 highway in The Hague for demonstrations.
The city will expand its Building Enforcement Brigade to tackle overcrowding by migrant workers and to shelter thousands of homeless people.
The coalition will close the sex worker windows on Doublestraat within ten years, likely through an amendment to the zoning plan.
And the new city government will “pause” the city’s zero-emission zones. Entrepreneurs will be allowed to drive into the city center and the port of Scheveningen until at least 2035.
Budget cuts
The new city government is cutting €5 million from domestic help. Where appropriate, people who use these facilities will be asked for a contribution. Welfare subsidies will be deployed “more strategically,” which the coalition expects will result in €10 million in savings. A package of measures for participation and employment projects is expected to generate €10 million. And €1 million will be cut from social services.
