Ommen residents take charge: Two new housing projects move forward with signed agreements
Residents in Ommen are one step closer to building their own homes through Collective Private Commissioning (CPO). Two local groups have signed cooperation agreements with the municipality, paving the way for affordable, custom-designed housing and helping young people stay in the area.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Projects | Erve Arriërflier and Vinkenbuurt |
| Municipality | Ommen |
| **Number of homes (Vinkenbuurt) | 8 |
| CPO Associations | Vereniging CPO Vinkenbuurt, Starters Collectief Ommen – Arriërflier |
| Key Milestone | Cooperation agreements signed on March 4, 2026 |
| Next Steps | Engaging architects, inventorying housing preferences, further planning |
| **Official Status (Vinkenbuurt) | Registered as an association with the notary (January 2026) |
The municipality of Ommen plays a facilitating role in these CPO projects by collaborating with resident-led associations to develop housing. It provides guidance, approves spatial planning, and ensures compliance with local regulations, helping turn community-driven housing initiatives into reality.
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CPO Associations Erve Arriërflier and Vinkenbuurt Take Next Step: Cooperation Agreements Signed
An important step in housing development in the municipality of Ommen has been taken. On Wednesday, March 4, Vereniging CPO Vinkenbuurt and Starters Collectief Ommen – Arriërflier both signed cooperation agreements with the municipality of Ommen. With this, the parties establish how they will collaborate in the coming period on the preparation of the housing projects.
Building Through Collective Private Commissioning
Both associations are building through Collective Private Commissioning (CPO). This means that participants organize themselves into an association and collectively act as the client for the realization of their homes. As a group, they make choices regarding, among other things, the design and the steps toward realization. “It’s wonderful that two new CPO initiatives are starting in our municipality. This requires a great deal of commitment from the boards and from the starters themselves, and I have a lot of appreciation for that. With these projects, we give young people the opportunity to stay in Vinkenbuurt and Ommen—and I’m very happy about that,” says alderwoman Alice van den Nieuwboer.
Erve Arriërflier: “A New Step in the Process”
For the participants, CPO is attractive because it allows for choices and affordability. “We can buy an affordable home, we get to design it ourselves, and we’ve had a lot of influence because we were able to contribute to the environmental plan. And you build a bond with your future neighbors,” says Patrick Huisjes (board member of Starters Collectief Ommen – Arriërflier).
Signing the cooperation agreement feels like a turning point for the group. Patrick explains: “By signing the agreement, we have certainty. It’s a new step in the process: now we can really get to work on our homes.”
Homes “By Vinkenbuurters, For Vinkenbuurters”
Vereniging CPO Vinkenbuurt has also signed the cooperation agreement. To realize the housing project, a spatial planning plan was developed in collaboration with the province. Within this plan, space is reserved for eight homes, fitting within the landscape. Future residents of Vinkenbuurt were also involved in thinking about the quality of the plan and the layout of the former school grounds.
Ilse van Beesten (board member of Vereniging CPO Vinkenbuurt) explains why this moment means so much to the group: “The former OBS Vinkenbuurt is a place with memories for us—five members of our group attended school here. Now we’re building a new chapter together here: ‘by Vinkenbuurters, for Vinkenbuurters.’”
The Next Steps
In the coming period, both CPO associations will focus on the next steps, such as engaging an architect, inventorying housing preferences, and further developing plans toward realization. Patrick says: “Actually starting to design our homes makes everything feel more tangible.”
In Vinkenbuurt, a board has already been formed, and the association has been officially established. Ilse explains: “We registered as an official association with the notary at the end of January. After that, we were chosen as an association to realize this project with the municipality. The signature on the cooperation agreement is the symbol and proof of that.”
CPO in Practice
“Remaining patient is a challenge,” says Patrick. At the same time, there is great enthusiasm about what’s to come. “It now feels like we’re finally allowed to get started.” In Vinkenbuurt, the same anticipation is in the air, with the understanding that it will take time, but every step toward realization counts. For future CPO groups, they advise: “Stay flexible and enjoy the process.”
CPO is now a proven method of housing development in Ommen. Following earlier initiatives in Beerzerveld and within the De Meerkoet project, Erve Arriërflier and Vinkenbuurt are now taking the next step toward realization.