Central government’s role on the housing market has changed in recent decades, and with it the function and significance of housing requirement estimates. Housing policy, in the broadest sense of the term, is a recurring topic within the societal debate. The Minister for Housing and the Central Government Sector, Mr Stef Blok, therefore requested the advice of the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli). The key questions put to the Council were:
‘What is the actual housing requirement in the Netherlands? What role should central government play in enabling all stakeholders to adequately meet the demand for housing?’
In its advisory report, the Council seeks to answer these questions before going on to examine the underlying issues, such as the obstacles that emerge as a result of general societal developments which influence demand for housing and are not compatible with the current structure of the housing market.