In medium-sized cities there is sometimes insufficient knowledge and experience when it comes to student housing. The government needs to do something about that, according to a motion submitted by the Dutch Parliament on Thursday. The signatories are the future governing parties D66, CDA and VVD, along with GroenLinks-PvdA and ChristenUnie. They are already guaranteed a majority in the new Cabinet.
In medium-sized cities there are usually no specialised student housing providers, these parliamentary groups say. Housing associations in these towns therefore do not always have enough knowledge and experience. The same goes for the local officials who have to apply the strict rules on houses in multiple occupation and the subdivision of dwellings.
The government should set up a support programme for student housing in which housing associations and officials in large university cities share knowledge and experience. The aim is to speed up the construction of non-self-contained student accommodation.
Splitting and sharing
Housing minister Mona Keijzer (BBB) said she could not pledge extra funding for this. She does, however, also believe that there is room for improvement in the splitting and sharing of homes. In the municipality of Utrecht, you no longer have to apply for a licence if you share a house with up to three people, she told the House of Representatives.
She outlined the dilemma faced by policymakers: municipalities are responsible for local housing policy, such as the subdivision of homes, because that is the level at which such decisions can best be made. “At the same time, you can see in practice that local authorities simply do not have enough administrative capacity,” Keijzer believes.
You could then create national policy, Keijzer explained, but that is less tailored to local circumstances. She is leaving those choices to the next government.
HOP, Bas Belleman
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