Why aren’t more cheaper homes being built for starters?
All the guests say that housing should be added as soon as possible, and that is what is happening. But a lot has to be done for that – and preferably at the same time. “Think of speeding up procedures, being able to use more land, more financial space for housing associations to invest in construction,” says Martin van Rijn van Aedes, the umbrella organization for housing associations.
All experts in the studio also agree that building has become more expensive anyway, which does not help in cheaper prices. Due to higher construction costs, land prices and stricter climate requirements.
A municipality must also set strict requirements for social housing when new construction, says Alderman Songul, so that construction is really done for a smaller wallet. National government is needed to make existing buildings cheaper, she says, with better rules for the use of space by several people, for example.
Fokkema thinks that municipalities sometimes need to show more decisiveness in construction projects. For example, if there is resistance in a neighborhood against building plans. “Then a politician has to say: that’s how it should be. But often they get scared and then come up with a new investigation.”
Why are the high prices for renting or buying not being addressed?
When it comes to high rents, the market is out of balance, according to Songul, partly due to investors who were able to buy properties and rent them out at a high price. “Too much has been left to the market,” she says, which is why more regulation is needed. Fokkema points out that the problem is basically a housing shortage, which means that high prices can also be asked.
Intervening in the owner-occupied market is difficult, says Blom. It is a free market, but also one with tax breaks for homeowners. “Seated buyers have many advantages, such as mortgage interest, and value that carries over to the next home. First-time buyers can borrow, they said. The effect is that prices continue to rise.”
“Subsidy can become usurious. There is a danger that the entire market can become more expensive. If we want to do something to intervene, then we may have to think about the benefits for transferees. But that is politically sensitive.”
How much impact does migration have on the housing market?
The population grew unexpectedly, mainly due to migration. Viewers wanted to know how this affects the housing market. According to Marieke Blom, quite a bit. “If you look at the corona year, there were fewer labor migrants and expats. As a result, the housing shortage shrank from 350.00 to 285,000 homes. It is therefore an important factor in the housing shortage. But labor migrants are very good for the large companies and we also want can renovate our homes cheaply, so there are a lot of interests involved.”
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