The government must conclude “enforceable agreements” with the national government, municipalities and provinces ensuring that 100,000 building permits are issued each year, says President Arno Visser of Bouwend Nederland. This would be a good way to combat the housing shortage in the Netherlands, he said on the WNL show Op Zondag.

According to Visser, the lack of affordable housing in the Netherlands is not so much the result of legislative errors as of a lack of determination. For example, too few permits for the construction of new housing are still granted each year.

“No house is built without a permit. So if we want to build 100,000 houses per year, we would have to issue 100,000 permits, but there are none. And it’s not in the law. We cannot solve this problem with even more legislation,” says the president of the construction company group.

“Er moet een Crisiswet komen om de Wooncrisis te bestrijden”, vindt @Merlien_Welzijn. @BNLvoorzitter Arno Visser: “It lasted 100,000 words in the Netherlands before he had a winning word. (…) It costs at least 100,000 words per day.” #WNL pic.twitter.com/xK4xgHNJS5

– WNL Op Zondag (@WNLOpZondag) October 13, 2024

“It starts with local authorities, who must ensure that these sites are there. This problem cannot be solved by legislation but by decisive action. And if the municipalities and provinces cannot find a solution, the minister should say: let’s do it now,” he continues. He called on NSC MP Merlien Welzijn to urge the government to reach binding agreements to start the permitting process.

Welzijn believes that the Housing Minister should take the reins if necessary. “Having a construction site is one thing. What we want is social housing, mid-range rental housing, and owner-occupied affordable housing. These are all segments of real estate where you don’t make very big returns as an investor,” she said on the talk show.

Visser agrees with the MP that the minister should intervene more. For him, a crisis law is not necessary, because the minister already has the means. “The start is with the municipalities which must act and have premises. We do not solve this problem with a law, but with an effective administration,” he explains.

Today, construction projects are delayed mainly because there is too much talk about them, many regulations are added, and there are often disputes against construction projects. According to Visser, it easily takes ten years before a house is built.