Rent freeze criticised / Aedes: 'Stunned that coalition leaves home seekers to their fate'

 

Rent freeze criticised

https://www.dutchnews.nl/2025/04/housing-building-plan-takes-more-hits-rent-freeze-criticised/

 

(…) At the same time, the Financieele Dagblad reports that housing corporations and developers are furious about the right-wing government’s decision to freeze social housing rents for two years.

 

They say the move, part of the spring financial plan, will lead to tens of thousands of homes not being built, putting further pressure on the government’s target of creating 100,000 new homes a year.

 

The decision has blocked €53 billion in planned investments, according to Liesbeth Spies, chairwoman of housing corporation umbrella group Aedes. “How stupid can you be?” she told the paper. “We are going to find out if there are options to take legal action.”

 

An agreement struck between the housing sector and the government at the end of last year included a pledge by housing corporations to build 30,000 new rental homes annually and improve the energy efficiency of existing homes. These investments were partly to be funded through rent increases.

 

Project developers also agreed to ensure that 30% of all newly built housing would be social, with a maximum monthly rent of just over €900. This commitment is now under threat because of the rent freeze, according to developers’ organisation Neprom.

 

Housing minister Mona Keijzer has not yet commented on the situation.

 

Rental homes

At the same time, housing platform Pararius reports that the number of non-rent controlled properties available in the Netherlands has fallen by 35.5% over the past year, while average rents for new contracts have risen almost 10%.

 

In total, 12,677 free sector rental homes became available in the first three months of this year, Pararius said, based on its own figures, those from website Huurwoningen.nl and other data sources.

 

Landlords have been selling off thousands of smaller city centre flats since the government introduced tougher rent controls and higher taxes last July.

 

Each property now generates an average of 47 replies from potential tenants, compared with 32 a year ago, Pararius said.

 

Aedes: 'Stunned that coalition leaves home seekers to their fate'

News · April 16, 2025

https://aedes.nl/politiek/aedes-verbijsterd-dat-coalitie-woningzoekenden-aan-hun-lot-over-laat

 

'Freezing rents seems to score easily, but the coalition mainly leaves house hunters to their fate. Freezing the rents of housing corporations will inevitably lead to planned investments in new construction and sustainability not being able to go ahead. Without rent increases in 2025 and 2026, no less than €47.5 billion in investment capacity will evaporate until 2030. This means that the new construction of 170,000 rental homes cannot go ahead, while so many people are waiting for it. Or 1.4 million fewer homes can be made more sustainable.'

 

'Corporations have to look at which projects they have to scrap today, there is no other way. Or they have to sell homes. And that while we have made concrete agreements with the cabinet about our investments for the next 10 years. So that Woontop now appears to be a farce. I find it baffling, this coalition appears to be unreliable," said Liesbeth Spies, chairman of Aedes, in response to the proposal to freeze the rents of corporations for the next 2 years.

 

National Performance Agreements

Aedes chair Liesbeth Spies: 'We made agreements about our investments with the government, the National Performance Agreements (NPA), only 4 months ago! They can be thrown in the trash this way. I find that baffling, just now that we have made agreements with the government, governments and market parties to build and become more sustainable. So what did we take that Woontop for? How can you seriously talk to the minister about tackling the housing shortage together?'

 

Spies continues: 'I understand that lower rents sound sympathetic, but it is really populist to ignore the dark side. We have carefully sought a balance between affordable rents and the room to invest for future tenants. It also has the cabinet's signature underneath, it cannot walk away from it now. You have to look for effective measures to help the people who are in need. Such measures are much more on the income side.'

 

The cooperation between government and corporations has slowly but surely improved in recent years, in the common interest of combating the housing shortage. Spies: 'That's why I can't access this, the coalition unilaterally cancels agreements that are important to a lot of people in this country. We will certainly see if we can legally put a stop to that. Out of necessity, we prefer to put our energy into combating the housing shortage.'

 

Aedes: ‘Verbijsterd dat coalitie woningzoekenden aan hun lot over laat’

Nieuws · 16 april 2025

https://aedes.nl/politiek/aedes-verbijsterd-dat-coalitie-woningzoekenden-aan-hun-lot-over-laat

 

‘Bevriezen van de huren lijkt makkelijk scoren, maar de coalitie laat vooral woningzoekenden aan hun lot over. Het bevriezen van de huren van woningcorporaties leidt er onvermijdelijk toe dat geplande investeringen in nieuwbouw en verduurzaming niet door kunnen gaan. Zonder huurverhoging in 2025 en 2026 verdampt maar liefst € 47,5 miljard aan investeringscapaciteit tot 2030. Dit betekent dat de nieuwbouw van 170.000 huurwoningen niet door kan gaan, terwijl daar zoveel mensen op zitten te wachten. Of er kunnen 1,4 miljoen woningen minder verduurzaamd worden.'

 

'Corporaties moeten vandaag al bekijken welke projecten ze moeten schrappen, dat kan niet anders. Of ze moeten woningen gaan verkopen. En dat terwijl we concrete afspraken met het kabinet hebben gemaakt over onze investeringen voor de komende 10 jaar. Die Woontop blijkt nu dus een farce. Ik vind het verbijsterend, deze coalitie blijkt onbetrouwbaar’, aldus Liesbeth Spies, voorzitter van Aedes, in reactie op het voorstel om de huren van corporaties de komende 2 jaar te bevriezen.

 

Nationale Prestatieafspraken

Aedes-voorzitter Liesbeth Spies: 'We maakten afspraken over onze investeringen met het kabinet, de Nationale Prestatieafspraken (NPA), pas 4 maanden geleden! Die kunnen op deze manier de prullenbak in. Ik vind dat verbijsterend, net nu we samen met het Rijk, overheden en marktpartijen afspraken hebben gemaakt om te bouwen en te verduurzamen. Waar hebben we die Woontop dan voor gehouden? Hoe kun je nou serieus met de minister verder praten over het samen aanpakken van de woningnood?’

 

Spies vervolgt: ‘Ik snap dat lagere huren sympathiek klinkt, maar het is echt populistisch om de schaduwzijde te negeren. We hebben zorgvuldig gezocht naar een evenwicht tussen betaalbare huren en de ruimte om te investeren voor toekomstige huurders. Daar staat ook de handtekening van het kabinet onder, daar kan het nu niet van weglopen. Je moet zoeken naar effectieve maatregelen om juist de mensen te helpen, die krap zitten. Dergelijke maatregelen zitten veel meer aan inkomenskant.’

 

De samenwerking tussen overheid en corporaties verbeterde de afgelopen jaren langzaam maar zeker, in het gezamenlijk belang van het bestrijden van de woningnood. Spies: ‘Daarom kan ik hier niet bij, de coalitie zegt eenzijdig afspraken op die voor heel veel mensen in dit land belangrijk zijn. Wij gaan ook zeker bekijken of we daar juridisch nog een stokje voor kunnen steken. Noodgedwongen, wij steken liever onze energie in het bestrijden van de woningnood.’