Finding an affordable house in the capital can seem like a nightmare. Whilst the Netherlands has strict tenancy laws such as rent caps in the public sector, many people who move to the Netherlands are often left looking in the free sector where housing prices constitute a large portion of one's income.

Reserved housing

Most of the housing in the Netherlands is reserved with just over 10 percent that falls into the middle-priced bracket. This category includes housing for professionals such as nurses and teachers who don’t earn over the threshold to qualify for large contingent social housing, and not enough to afford houses available in the free sector.

Furthermore, these groups stand little chance when it comes to buying a home in such a competitive industry. For this reason, coalition parties D66, VVD, SP and opposition party CDA will be submitting a motion April 6 in hopes that it will help manage the issue.

Discount plan

Whilst the parties agree the issue is a difficult one to tackle, particularly as prices rise as soon as a medium-priced property comes onto the market, they have proposed a system whereby developers are given a discount.

D66 drafted the resolution with support from coalition partners VVD and SP. CDA has also signed the motion. 

"It is crucial to the mixed character of our city that average families can continue to live here," stated D66 leader Reinier van Dantzig, "Unfortunately, those houses are not in many places."

Requirements

To encourage the construction of medium-priced homes the city council will give developers discounts on obtaining land if they then promise to keep the prices in the medium-priced range.

It has also established requirements to do with the size of the house indicating that it must be suitable for families. Developers must also only offer the houses to tenants with specific income brackets to ensure that they stay reserved for those middle-income groups.