International

Since January 1st Dutch households with a gross income in excess of €33,614 may no longer be given social housing lets. This is creating huge problems for those people who earn too little to enable them to buy or rent on the open market. They will be unable to move house even when that becomes necessary, such as when couple start a family or add to their number of children. Paulus Jansen, housing spokesman for the SP, says that ‘according to interior minister Piet Hein Donner, the income threshold shouldn’t be a problem for anyone in the Netherlands. Increasing resistance from tenants, housing associations and other interested parties convinces me otherwise. I would therefore like to hear how this measure is affecting people, so that we can get rid of it as soon as possible.'

The income threshold was decreed by Brussels, which should not be interfering in housing matters, a national responsibility under the EU Treaty. The European Commission is, however, using the back-door provided by the Competition Directive to do just that, arguing that housing associations receive unfair state aids. The Minister, Piet Hein Donner, has already stated that he will discuss this with the Commission, but is known to support the threshold himself. The SP has in previous debates stated that this rule is disadvantageous to tenants who have few alternatives, but Donner is still saying this month that the income threshold should not be a problem for anyone in the Netherlands.”