With an investment of hundreds of millions by the national government, tens of thousands of houses and numerous roads, railway lines, and stations can be built in South Holland. This is a huge boost for the province and the Rotterdam The Hague Metropolitan Region.

The cabinet is investing a lot of money in South Hollands infrastructure and housing in the coming years. Today it was announced where the subsidies for Housing and Mobility and Housing will be allocated in the short term. A quarter of those funds will go to South Holland. This will make approximately 30,000 homes possible.

“We are very happy,” responds Deputy for Housing Anne Koning. “This allows us to really get to work. We are very pleased that the national government sees that we are building a lot in South Holland. The housing conditions are sometimes challenging; this really helps.” South Holland aims to build nearly a quarter of a million homes by 2030.

Deputy Frederik Zevenbergen (Mobility) is also positive: “South Holland accounts for a quarter of the earning capacity, a quarter of the population, but more than a quarter of the traffic jams. It is good that the cabinet also sees this and helps us. This way we can really make a difference against traffic jams and overcrowded trains. If you want more homes, you also have to work on accessibility.”

Simon Fortuyn, portfolio holder MRDH Investing in Accessibility, adds: “Strengthening the Oude Lijn is a prerequisite to make housing and good accessibility possible. With the contribution from the national government, we are taking a step forward. That is good news.”

Oude Lijn

A large part of the money goes to the so-called Oude Lijn. Along the railway between Leiden and Dordrecht, 170,000 new homes must be built. This is necessary because by 2040 about 400,000 new residents will come to this region. To transport these extra residents, public transport must therefore be significantly expanded. More investments are indispensable for the further development of the Oude Lijn. All partners are explicitly looking to the newly forming cabinet.

This is a step to tackle the housing crisis, where people can count on well-accessible homes. But there is more reason to invest in South Holland. With the Rotterdam Port area, Greenport West-Holland, and the Delft innovation cluster, the metropolitan region contributes to the Dutch economy, according to the Province of South Holland and the MRDH.

Part of the money also goes to the Vlietlijn, a new tram connection in the The Hague region. By including a tunnel in the design, the line can be better integrated, it is safer for cyclists, and it ensures better flow for the tram.

Cortelande and Katwijk

The new village being built in South Holland also receives an extra boost. More than 100 million goes to Cortelande in the municipality of Zuidplas, where a village of about 8,000 homes will be built. The subsidy follows the news from last month that the national government, municipality, water boards, and province have agreed on the further development of the area.

Extra funds are also allocated for Katwijk. Nearly 14 million euros go to the development around the company Eli Lilly and housing in the area. With this first impulse, the grand plans in the area can be further elaborated.

The parties involved in these intended national contributions will soon discuss the exact frameworks and conditions.