“Start by lighting a candle every morning.”
With this recommendation, moderators on social media platforms advised those seeking rental housing in the Netherlands to pray. The pressure on the country’s real estate market is immense, with the housing shortage estimated at approximately 400,000 units.
This was the primary issue in the recent Dutch general elections, and the D66 party, which won government awareness, advocated for the creation of “10 new cities.”
The Crisis and Its Consequences
In light of these difficult conditions, the demand for bold measures has increased. Remember that squatting in properties has been a criminal offense for over a decade; however, with estimates indicating nearly 90,000 vacant housing units, “illegal occupation”—known in Dutch as kraken—has resurfaced in rural Dutch areas. Thousands of people are living illegally year-round in tourism and leisure towns.
Government Interventions
Local authorities are seeking to manage this situation by adopting measures to attempt to change the current dynamics. The Municipality of Amsterdam is looking to tighten existing measures against secondary residences and homes left vacant by their owners. Last year, it also took other measures aimed at stopping the sharp overheating of the market and restricting the exploitation of tenants, as laws regarding residential fees were tightened. However, this has prompted landlords to abandon renting out their properties and instead list them on the market for sale.
Obstacles and Future Challenges
Questions remain regarding the government’s ability to implement plans to build thousands of housing units—including the new cities—due to an obstacle that many might not have expected: electricity. The Netherlands claims to have sufficient power, but it lacks the necessary infrastructure to transport it to the planned areas. The Netherlands is known for innovation—especially in water management. Could floating residential buildings be one of the solutions?
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