The industrial revolution in the 19’ century was a boost for cities, rapid growth and increase of low and middle class demanded new houses. In the Netherlands the social housing system improved at the beginning of the 20’ century. Social housing corporations emerged and provided medium and low cost houses to their members.

The Second World War was another major set back for the housing market. Between 1950 and 1970 houses were build in rapid speed for every segment of the housing market. Besides the social housing system, squatting and houseboats were other channels to find a cheap roof.

Times changed, laws bounded squatting and made houseboats a luxury. At the end of the 20’ century government ruled that housing corporations had to be profitable and were set a quota to sell part of their cheap houses. Meanwhile house price in the Netherlands had risen to the extreme. The waiting lists for a social rent house had grown again to a shame full 6 years for an unwanted house in an unwanted neighborhood up to 20 years in the center of Amsterdam. The whole housing market supply stagnated for rich and poor.

End 2004 Minister of housing came up with the profitable idea that rent also for social houses should reflect their current market value. Meaning rent raises in cities about 200% up to 500% in just a few years. This will not only affect those who have to pay such, but also the cities in large. It will also mean segregation. It will even also mean more home work traveling and effect climate and overall state plans for roads as well.

On Saturday 5 February there was a demonstration organised by Sash against the plan of minister Dekker to commercialize the social housing market. It is not acceptable, if people will be forced to move out of the city to cheaper houses, for sake of freeing up the housing market. We all want the housing supply to do better, however making it more profitable for those who are under least stress is not the way. It will only help to reform the Netherlands in a science fiction doomsday scenario.

Mathilde μP, February 2005