The Nether­lands have a very spe­cif­ic hous­ing tra­di­tion, in which the gov­ern­ment and the munic­i­pal­i­ties play a major role. Ever since the pass­ing of the Dutch Hous­ing Law in 1901, afford­able dwellings for all inhab­i­tants of the Nether­lands have been a nation­al pri­or­i­ty. Today, more than 30% of the hous­ing stock belong to the social rental sec­tor, and 29,3% of all hous­es are owned by corporations.

In the big cities in the West, how­ev­er, the sys­tem is under pres­sure due to the eco­nom­ic boom. While Rot­ter­dam is try­ing to intro­duce more high-qual­i­ty dwellings, Ams­ter­dam attempts to guar­an­tee that res­i­den­tial projects remain afford­able for mid­dle income groups. The munic­i­pal­i­ty has issued the rule that all new res­i­den­tial projects should con­tain 40% social, 40% mid-range and 20% up-mar­ket dwellings. Reg­u­la­tions of this type are pos­si­ble because 80% of the ground is owned by the municipality.

Find out more dur­ing one of our tours!