Amsterdammers find themselves at the nadir of a Europe-wide housing shortage. But some bold initiatives offer hope
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In a pan-European housing crisis, the Netherlands’ is next level. According to independent analysis, the average Dutch home now costs €452,000 – more than 10 times the modal, or most common, Dutch salary of €44,000.
That means you need a salary of more than twice that to buy one. Nationwide, house prices have doubled in the past decade; in more sought-after neighbourhoods they have surged 130%. A new-build home costs 16 times an average salary.
The rental market is equally dysfunctional. Rents in the private sector – about 15% of the country’s total housing stock – have soared. A single room in a shared house in Amsterdam is €950 a month; a one-bed flat €1,500 or more; a three-bedder €3,500.
And to add another viewpoint, this development has spiked the attitude and emotions concerning immigrations. For literally, atm there simply is no affordable housing to be found for the current nationals . Not talking about the political or the morality, simply about the absence of (current and new) infrastructure for placements in the foreseeable future.
Not to mention, that the Netherlands is one of the highest populated areas per km² in the world, especially considering that only like 30% of it’s total landsurface is used for housing and all the rest is industry, trade, but especially agriculture takes a huge bulk.