The amendments were advised against by the minister but were still adopted. Minister Keijzer has examined the 4 amendments and is conducting further research on 2 of them. The minister will inform the Senate further on this. The aim is to process the law as quickly as possible. The regulation law on housing is important to address the housing shortage. This goal is widely supported, including by other authorities and market parties.

The amendment regarding an absolute ban on priority for all persons with a residence permit ensures that this group cannot receive an urgency declaration for housing in any case, even if there are medical reasons for it.

This distinction is contrary to Article 1 of our Constitution, which states that all those who are in the Netherlands must be treated equally in equal cases and that discrimination is prohibited.

A bill from the minister to abolish priority for status holders is currently under review by the Council of State. Under this law, status holders will no longer receive priority based on the fact that they are status holders. They can, like all other Dutch citizens, receive urgency for other reasons. The Council of States advice is expected in September.

For the amendment regarding priority for homeless families with children, the minister, together with municipalities, will define who this regulation should apply to. The minister is also examining whether municipalities have sufficient capacity to handle all applications for this in time and what the effect will be on the waiting time for other housing seekers.

A 3rd amendment stipulates that the minister of VRO must process building permits if municipalities decide too late. Further research will be conducted via an implementation assessment. The amendment has implications for the relationships between the central government, provinces, and municipalities.

The 4th amendment ensures that the municipalities right of preference can be extended repeatedly without plans becoming more concrete. This change to the right of preference infringes on property rights. The right of preference requires landowners to first offer their land to municipalities for sale. The amendment aims to prevent potential housing construction locations from becoming more expensive due to land speculation.

The bill for strengthening the regulation of housing ensures that governments can better and more quickly steer on how much, where, and for whom they will build. The law aims to ensure sufficient affordable housing, shorter procedures, and equal opportunities for urgent housing seekers.