Construction prices soaring, and high-interest rates, strict rules, and long procedures. The ambition to build 3,000 homes per year in the city is in danger, while the housing shortage is high. This has to change, according to the municipality of Eindhoven and the parties involved. Therefore, there is now a new deal.
Last night, dozens of parties gathered in the former Philips headquarters. From the municipality to housing corporations, brokers, and developers. They signed the housing agreement there enjoying a glass of non-alcoholic champagne hoping that the city can continue to build.
Housing for everyone
With that agreement, the signatories indicate the need to increase the housing stock in Eindhoven strongly and quickly. On a structural basis, the parties involved will sit down to discuss ideas and projects. “We’ll discuss every way to increase the housing stock,” explains Alderperson Mieke Verhees. A concrete example is the arrival of more than 450 student rooms in the former Philips headquarters.
One of the parties that signed the housing agreement is the housing corporation Trudo. “Often there are all kinds of reasons why something can’t be done. But with this agreement, we start looking at how something can be done,” explained Jos Goijaerts of Trudo.
“Before, we were running into all kinds of preconditions, for example, so much middle rent and a price range linked to it. And then you start developing and find out it’s not feasible. Then we needed to have endless discussions again to change that.”
Feasible
The plan is to change all that. Problems will no longer remain on the shop floor, according to Jos Goijaerts, but will go through to the top of the company more quickly, so that solutions will come faster. However, the ambition to realise three thousand homes a year remains difficult. “It is difficult, but we are going to make the most of it,” says the director with determination.
Source: Studio040
Translation: Chaitali Sengupta. She also gives online INBURGERING classes.
