David Orr, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, has spoken out about the European Commission’s ‘interference’ in the Dutch housing system. Thirty three per cent of housing stock in the Netherlands is owned by bodies that receive state funding. In 2005, the commission argued having more than 30 per cent of homes belonging to the social housing sector seemed ‘disproportionate’. It expressed doubt about the compatibility of the Dutch social housing support systems with the European competition rules, and suggested that it could be a possible ‘manifest error’. In response the Dutch government introduced eligibility criteria ruling only those households with an annual income of €33,000 or less will be allowed access to social housing. Mr Orr said: ‘The European Union has said that it has a position in determining what individual governments can and can’t do with social housing. ‘If unchallenged [this kind of interference from the European Union] could have as profound an impact on social housing in this country as [the recent] Budget.’ Read the full story on Inside Housing.
