Much more and especially better rental housing needs to be built for the social majority. Therefore, the government must play a much larger role and invest unprecedentedly. Decades of right-wing policy with all the space for commercial parties has resulted in stagnation, so it must be done differently to move forward, said Frans Timmermans. With a larger government role, a larger share of affordable rental and purchase homes can be built. The income limit must also be raised so that more people can rent those homes. And the quality of the homes must be improved.

These are the building blocks of the Housing Recovery Plan that GroenLinks-PvdA wants to present in the first hundred days of a new cabinet. Frans Timmermans presents these building blocks on July 10 at Het Schip in Amsterdam. Het Schip is an example of beautiful, once hyper-modern architecture built for the social majority. From teachers to shopkeepers, and from general practitioners to caregivers. Homes were not only affordable but also more beautiful and better than what the market had to offer. The most beautiful neighborhoods in our cities were built on behalf of the government. If we all put our shoulders to the wheel together, we can do that again now, said Frans Timmermans.

Income limit for rental housing raised

So that everyone from the social majority can afford to live, the income limit for rental housing must be raised. This has also been done in Paris and Vienna, allowing cleaners, caregivers, and teachers to live on the same street again. There is also room for families earning significantly more than the average.

Quality requirements

To ensure that homes are affordable and of top quality, GroenLinks-PvdA wants the quality to be independently assessed by experts beforehand. This method is successfully applied in Vienna, where top-quality homes are the norm for every income. A commission of experts must assess the housing plans of developers. They check the quality, architecture, sustainability, affordability, and the presence of amenities such as roads, public transport, and shops. Only projects that score well will be built. 

Land acquisition by the government

In addition, GroenLinks-PvdA wants the national government to purchase and develop land together with municipalities. This way, land prices remain lower, speculative price increases are countered, and construction can proceed more quickly. When making land available to developers, the government can impose requirements regarding, for example, the share of affordable rental and purchase homes and the maximum rent.