Friesland municipality opts out of senior housing deal to focus on tailored solutions
De Fryske Marren has chosen not to sign a provincial agreement for 7,500 new senior homes, prioritizing adaptable housing solutions instead. The move aims to help elderly residents stay in their communities while ensuring access to care and support.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Municipality | De Fryske Marren |
| Province | Fryslân |
| Senior housing target | 7,500 units (provincial goal) |
| Alternative approach | Adapting existing homes and clustered housing |
| Homes already realized | 130 clustered homes |
| Key locations | Joure, Lemmer |
| Policy focus | Vital neighborhoods, care access, and tailored housing for seniors |
| Agreement signed? | No (municipality did not sign provincial framework) |
The municipality of De Fryske Marren is responsible for local housing policy, including senior housing, and collaborates with the province and national government to meet residents' needs. Its role involves balancing provincial targets with practical, community-focused solutions for elderly care and housing.
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Follow-up to Leeuwarder Courant article on senior housing
On Tuesday, March 17, the Leeuwarder Courant published an article about the realization of 7,500 senior housing units in Friesland. De Fryske Marren, like the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân, did not sign the agreement with the province alongside other Frisian municipalities.
The province wants the agreement to focus exclusively on building new senior housing, while a large portion of De Fryske Marren’s housing stock is particularly suitable for adapting existing homes for this target group. Many people also prefer to remain in their own neighborhoods or communities by making practical adjustments to their homes. Additionally, the municipality has been working intensively with various partners on this issue for some time. On December 9, 2025, the municipal executive of De Fryske Marren adopted the Implementation Program for Housing, Well-being, and Care. The national government expects municipalities to take the lead and work closely with local partners to achieve concrete results.
Based on this, De Fryske Marren has chosen a cross-domain approach, aiming to continue progress collectively in providing suitable housing for seniors. The municipality seeks to ensure vital neighborhoods and villages, appropriate housing and living environments, and sustainable access to care and support. And with success—our municipality has made good progress in building senior housing. For example, 130 clustered homes have already been realized in recent years. The municipality is also actively working on housing projects in locations such as Joure and Lemmer, catering to seniors who wish to relocate.
De Fryske Marren agrees with the shared goal of building senior housing and collaborates with the Province of Fryslân and the national government on this effort. However, the added value of signing a binding agreement framework is lacking. According to the municipality, the primary focus should be on providing suitable housing for seniors—not solely on increasing the number of senior housing units through binding targets without considering the policy’s objective: enabling seniors to live appropriately.
We view the Province of Fryslân and the national government as partners in implementing well-conceived, ambitious plans with vigor.