Homeowners who do not qualify for a market-conform loan for foundation repair can turn to the Sustainable Foundation Repair Fund starting July 1, 2025. This approach is a response to the advisory report from ABDTOPConsult The Elephant in the Room. Today, the ministries of Housing and Spatial Planning (VRO) and Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) sent a letter to the House of Representatives regarding this.

The challenge is significant: an estimated 425,000 buildings and homes will face foundation damage in the next 10 years. By 2050, this number will rise to 780,000. Causes of the foundation issues include aging buildings, land subsidence, and climate change.

At the request of the ministries of VRO, IenW, LVVN, and with the involvement of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), ABDTOPConsult has prepared the advisory report The Elephant in the Room. Based on this report, the state, together with local authorities, building owners, housing corporations, the financial sector, the construction sector, and knowledge institutions, proposes a joint approach. This is a long-term approach consisting of 3 tracks:

• creating necessary conditions at the national level;
• supporting homeowners with information;
• research and advice and support for 6 leading municipalities and regions to establish a localized learning approach.

Between 2025 and 2028, the state will invest in knowledge development, reliable data, and risk models. Together with entities such as the Cadastre, Deltares, and TNO, it is working on a national data infrastructure for foundation risks. At the same time, the state encourages innovative techniques for foundation research and repair. To ensure the quality of repairs, it will implement recognition schemes and certifications together with involved parties. The state also supports decentralized authorities by preparing a guide with water and soil measures that can help prevent foundation damage.

The second track focuses on owners who find it difficult to arrange or pay for foundation repairs themselves. Through regional counters and public information, homeowners receive support. For those who cannot obtain a loan on the regular mortgage market due to insufficient income for necessary foundation repair costs, there has been national access to the Sustainable Foundation Repair Fund since July 1, 2025. For this national access, the cabinet will add €20 million in 2026. This is an important step in the context of the national approach. Additionally, information about foundations will be made better and available earlier at the purchase and sale of homes so that buyers gain insight into potential risks.

The homeowner is not always able to tackle foundation problems alone. For example, because the owner is part of an Owners Association or lives in a block of buildings where multiple houses are sinking. In some cases, in the entire neighborhood, in addition to foundation issues, other social challenges also arise. Therefore, the state focuses on an area-based learning approach in the leading municipalities and regions of Friesland, Emmen, Rivierenland, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, and Zaanstad. By collaborating with residents and local partners, actionable perspectives are developed that are also useful for other municipalities and regions.

With this approach, the cabinet responds to various requests from the House, including those regarding fair cost distribution and attention to shallow foundations and land subsidence. A facilitator will be appointed for the coordination of this multi-year approach.