Student housing: big cities must share knowledge with smaller ones

Small and medium-sized cities sometimes lack knowledge and experience in student housing. The government must do something about that, according to a motion tabled on Thursday during a debate on the budget for the Ministry of Housing.

The signatories are the future governing parties D66, CDA and VVD, joined by the opposition parties GroenLinks-PvdA and ChristenUnie. They are, therefore, already assured of a majority.

The parties argue that small and medium-sized cities usually have no specialised student housing providers. Housing associations in these cities do not always have the specific knowledge and experience required to deal with student housing. The same applies to civil servants, who must enforce strict rules on room rental and the division of dwellings.

Sharing knowledge
The cabinet should set up a support programme for student housing, in which housing associations and civil servants in municipalities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht would share their knowledge and experience with colleagues in other cities. The aim is to accelerate the construction of non-independent student housing.

Outgoing Minister Mona Keijzer (BBB) emphasised during the debate that she cannot commit any additional funds for this purpose. She said that one could call the motion superfluous because there already is a student housing director. "But, ultimately, a large majority in the House supports this motion, so we are also obliging ourselves to find the resources for it."

No licence
Keijzer also believes that the splitting and sharing of homes could be improved. She told the House of Representatives that, in the municipality of Utrecht, people no longer need to apply for a licence to share a home with up to three people. "As we all know, Utrecht is a university city. If they can do it there, then I believe there are a few places in the Netherlands where this wouldn't be possible." She called it an inspiring example.

She outlined the dilemma faced by policymakers: local authorities are responsible for local housing policy, such as the allocation of homes. After all, that is the level at which these decisions can best be made. "At the same time, we see in practice that municipalities do not have sufficient administrative capacity," Keijzer stated. "If someone asks at the counter whether they can divide a home, it does not always work out."

Keijzer explained that one could turn this into a national policy, but that would be less tailored to local specifics. Therefore, it's a matter of choice. Either way, she's leaving the matter to the next cabinet.