Good news for everyone looking for a house in Rotterdam. Last year, more houses were built than the year before. And these houses are for many different (new) residents of Rotterdam.
In 2024, construction started on no less than 3,751 homes. That is an increase of 20% compared to 2023, when 3,134 new houses were built. Especially the construction of affordable homes has increased significantly in 2024; more than 65% of the new houses fall into this category. The houses are being built all over the city, such as in Brainpark, Dakpark, Wielewaal, Weena, and IJsselhof in IJsselmonde.
‘Homes are badly needed’
Alderman Chantal Zeegers (Climate, Building, and Housing) can hardly hide her enthusiasm. ‘I am very happy with this because it means we can help more residents of Rotterdam find a home. This is badly needed in a time of low housing supply and very high demand.’
Zeegers continues: ‘These positive figures are largely due to the good cooperation with market parties and housing corporations and the Construction Agreement we concluded with them in September 2023. We have jointly focused on a number of acceleration measures, such as a financial boost for the construction of mid-segment homes.’
More homes for students too
Not only families and starters benefit from the growth in the number of new homes, but students also get more space. In 2024, construction started on 460 independent student homes and more than 150 student rooms in group homes. Zeegers: ‘There is also a huge demand for student housing. Rotterdam is the second-largest student city in the Netherlands. Students contribute greatly to a lively and vibrant city. We therefore want to keep them in the city, even after their studies. That is why we continue to invest in affordable housing for them.’
Rotterdam Building Act
But to be able to continue building enough homes, Rotterdam still has to overcome some challenges. Housing corporations, for example, have less money to invest, foreign investors are less likely to invest in new construction, and construction costs continue to rise. There is also a problem with the electricity grid, which is overloaded in many places.
The municipality wants to tackle these challenges with a new ‘Rotterdam Building Act’. This law will be presented to the city council before the summer. The law should ensure that building procedures become simpler and the rules for building more flexible. This way, Rotterdam can build new homes faster and easier.
Distribution of new homes
How is the number of homes being built distributed over the past year? That is a good question. Below you will find how many homes are added in which part, also called segment.
- Social segment 1,222 homes
- Mid segment 1,233 homes
- High segment 936 homes
- Top segment 170 homes
- Unknown segment 187 homes
- Homes with temporary permits 3 homes