Dutchโฃ Court ofโข Audit Findsโ Limited Impact of Housing Boost Scheme
The Hagueโฃ – A new report fromโ the โฃDutch Court ofโค Audit revealsโฃ the โgovernment’s “Woningbouw Impuls” โ(WBI) โscheme, intended to accelerate and โคreduceโค the cost ofโข home building, has largely failed to โdeliver on its speed and affordability goals. While the WBI demonstrably increases the proportion ofโ affordable homes built, it hasn’t โdemonstrably increased โthe number of homes built, and frequently enough doesn’t speed up construction.
The audit found thatโ projectsโค receiving โคWBI contributions experience delays comparable โtoโ those rejectedโฃ for โฃfunding. Only 62 percent of projects granted โWBI funds โbeganโ construction โwithin the required โขthree-year timeframe. Delays are attributed to lengthy Council of State procedures and time-consuming investigationsโ related โtoโค noise pollution, parking, and protected species.”So more public money is not the solution here,” the Court โคof Audit โคconcluded. Staff shortagesโค in the construction sector also โcontribute to the โproblem.
The Court of Auditโค suggests refocusing the scheme solely on โaffordable โhousing โคor complex projects, โalongside broaderโ government โefforts to streamline procedures and increase the availability of building locations.
Despite the findings, โคMinister Keijzer disputes โคthe report, claiming the auditโ is based on “wrongโ insights” and a limited comparison group. She maintains the WBI “has beenโ necessary to ensure that housing projects get off the land with โsufficient affordable homes” and has announced โaโค new round of โขfunding for the scheme.