Housing minister announces sites for 30,000 new homes by 2035

Housing minister Eleanor Boekholt-O'Sullivan has announced five new sites across the Netherlands for constructing 30,000 new homes by 2035. Designated as National Large-Scale Housing Locations (NGWs), these urban locations in Friesland, Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, and Limburg will contribute to the cabinet's goal of building 400,000 houses in the next decade.

Between 5,000 and 6,000 homes are planned in Haarlem, Deventer, Weert, and Leeuwarden, while Maastricht will see the development of 8,000 houses. Apart from Haarlem, all sites are situated near major railway stations. Boekholt-O'Sullivan emphasized that the chosen locations can be easily connected to essential services like water and electricity, enabling quick development.

The NGW scheme, a €5 billion fund introduced in 2023, has now identified 26 NGW areas. However, plans to develop four sites previously selected by the previous housing minister, Mona Keijzer, faced delays due to insufficient funds for infrastructure connections. Boekholt-O'Sullivan stated that the five new NGW locations were chosen because they required no additional measures for service availability, allowing the government to expedite the construction of new neighborhoods.