Province instructs Ridderkerk to cooperate again with regional municipalities

Ridderkerk must cooperate again with the Rotterdam region, as instructed by the province. The municipality wants to set up its own housing allocation system and previously left the regional cooperation. Eleven regional municipalities, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (VRO), and housing corporations have already asked Ridderkerk to stop these plans. The province is now intervening, a unique move.

The provincial government sees that Ridderkerks plans make it harder to find social rental housing. By setting up a housing allocation system, people from Ridderkerk and the rest of the region must register for two systems and remain active, otherwise fewer homes will be available to them. At the same time, no additional homes are added with this plan. Therefore, the province is intervening, a unique case in the Netherlands.

In recent months, intensive consultations, meetings, and even a mediator have been used to find a solution. Despite pressure from the entire region, housing corporations, and the national government, Ridderkerk wants to continue with the plans. The province had already announced that it would intervene if necessary. This has now been officially decided.

Cooperation

According to the province, cooperation is the best way to address the housing shortage. The renewed cooperation must be established in the next two months. This was the standard way of working until last year. The intention is to protect house seekers from extra hassle.

Im frustrated, says Deputy for Housing Anne Koning. I would have preferred not to do this, but we have no choice. Ridderkerk is a municipality with many social rental homes and good new construction. We really appreciate that. Its a shame that we are all spending time and energy on a plan that solves nothing. While we all want the same thing: to help people quickly and easily find a good home.

If this instruction is also ignored, the province can decide to impose the cooperation itself. On Wednesday, December 10, SGP and J21 requested a current affairs debate on the dossier.