Build 3000 homes in Eindhoven every year, especially homes that are affordable for middle incomes. According to mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem, that is the biggest challenge in the rapid growth that the city is experiencing. “It is very difficult. But we are doing everything we can and that is starting to pay off.”
Eindhoven is growing rapidly. Last year, almost 3,000 residents were added. And the city is expected to continue growing in the coming decades, due to the flourishing technology sector in the region. To keep companies like ASML here and at the same time maintain the quality of life in the region, major investments are being made in Brainport. It is now about a year ago that The Hague promised to invest billions in the region, together with the province, municipalities and the business community. According to Eindhoven mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem, a lot of work has been done since that sensational deal.
Patience
“There is extra money to build faster and more homes, attract technical talent and ensure good roads and public transport. Steps have been taken on all fronts, although it never goes fast enough for me,” Dijsselbloem tells Studio040 . According to him, the city’s growth spurt and the enormous investments being made in the region are already noticeable. At the same time, patience is also needed. “The plans are there and so is the money. But building homes and infrastructure takes time in this country. In various projects, you will not see machines at work for another five years. But we are not standing still. If you drive through the centre of Eindhoven now, you will see more and more cranes, such as at the stadium, on Strijp-S or in De Bergen . Various roads are closed due to roadworks.”
Building thousands of homes every year is the biggest challenge according to the mayor. There are agreements to build 100,000 extra homes in the Brainport region within fifteen years. 40,000 of these should be built in Eindhoven. The current city council has already set a target of realising 3,000 new homes every year. Dijsselbloem: “The housing shortage is the most important issue. It is incredibly difficult for many residents to find a home, for example young people seeking a place for themselves. Or all those people who come from abroad to work here in the technology sector and have to find a home.”
Progress
Although the task is huge and the housing shortage will not be solved overnight, Dijsselbloem does see that progress is being made. “We do a lot as a municipality, with corporations and project developers. How can we build even faster? And that is starting to pay off. Every year we try to make housing construction run a little smoother and achieve the target of 3,000 homes. On all fronts we try to do a little better each time, so that production increases. That is a challenge. You must deal with financing, restrictions that the corporations have or legal procedures.”
Affordability
Of the additional homes that are built in the city, 85 percent must fall into the ‘affordable’ category. That is also an agreement that the coalition parties have made. Dijsselbloem is optimistic about achieving that objective. “So far, we have succeeded. However, it requires a lot of effort. ASML is also focusing on that with a housing fund. In addition, we are using additional subsidies from the government to achieve this. We are working together to achieve this. And that is necessary. Because the demand is for affordable homes for middle incomes, for people with an MBO (Secondary vocational education) background.”
Scarcity
In addition to housing, the mayor also points to the shortage of electricity and personnel as major obstacles to the city’s growth spurt. “There is a huge shortage of electricity. And that is even more of an issue here, because the region is growing faster economically than the rest of the Netherlands.”
Occasionally this leads to dire situations, according to Dijsselbloem. “They are always short interruptions. For example, a company wants to expand, but there is no extra power. It can then take three months or sometimes a year before this is resolved. Or the company can continue to grow at another location. We can still resolve everything now. It is still running, but the shortages are noticeable.”
Civil servants
The situation on the regional labour market also leaves much to be desired. “Just talk to people in education, healthcare and technical companies. It is really a puzzle to find people. It is still possible. The companies are still growing, but it is becoming increasingly difficult.”
The municipalities themselves are also noticing this. Due to the growth of the region, many civil servants are being recruited to ensure that developments in areas such as housing and accessibility are properly managed. For example, Eindhoven saw its civil service organisation grow by more than 600 employees in recent years. Dijsselbloem: “And we are doing the same within the region. We are forming teams to help small municipalities with permit procedures. That is challenging, because the labour market is tight. However, we have been successful so far. After all, people enjoy contributing to the increase in scale.”
Although the challenges are enormous, Dijsselbloem is positive. “We have the mentality here to put our inspectors under it. Brainport is currently the growth engine of the Netherlands. And with the billions from the government, we have a great chance to solve the problems.”
Source: Studio040.nl
Translated by Yawar Abbas
