12.000 tenants live in Dutch social housing while owning one or more homes

Research by the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) has revealed that nearly 12.000 people are living in social housing while owning one or more homes. For a large majority, this conflicts with the objectives of social housing.

Number of Dutch social housing tenants choose to be landlords

After studying anonymous microdata, CPB was able to map how often tenants in housing associations owned one or more of their own properties and their circumstances. Questions were raised about the “appropriate use of scarce social housing” when it was found that 12.000 social housing tenants are homeowners.

Of this group, one in six residents became homeowners due to circumstances outside of their control. For example, by inheriting a share of a parent’s home or separation from a partner. “The tenant likely cannot freely dispose of the property, so there is no clear conflict with the objectives of housing corporations,” wrote CPB in a press release.

Five out of six social housing tenants who are also homeowners have chosen to own a house, with some having more than 10 homes in the Netherlands. These homes are most often rented out, while another common use is housing a loved one or using another property as a second home. “Here, home ownership does seem to conflict with the social objective of housing corporations: the tenant essentially has another place to live, but doesn't use it for that purpose.”

Conflicts with social housing objectives

Housing associations are legally obligated to provide housing for people who cannot meet their needs without assistance. Rent for social housing is less than 933 euros per month. Thousands of Dutch residents are on waiting lists for social housing that can take years to become available. 

The 10.000 tenants who choose to be homeowners are not the target group for social housing and often earn more than the income threshold while also living in better locations and more attractive homes. “Therefore, a specific form of "skewed rent" appears to exist among tenants who own their own homes,” writes CPB.