Chief Architect: Split Homes Before Building New
The Dutch Chief Government Architect (Rijksbouwmeester) is now advocating for prioritizing `woningsplitsing`—splitting existing houses into multiple units—as a more important short-term solution to the housing shortage than new construction. This policy pivot emphasizes using the existing building stock more efficiently to provide immediate relief.
The push for `woningsplitsing` comes as the Netherlands faces a housing deficit of approximately 410,000 homes in 2025. This shortage is a core reason why Chief Government Architect Francesco Veenstra views splitting houses, particularly the common terraced houses (`rijtjeshuizen`), as a crucial short-term solution to provide rapid housing relief. This strategy is especially aimed at helping young people and those in their twenties who are currently forced to live with their parents. Veenstra's advocacy reframes house splitting not as a temporary fix, but as a structural component of housing policy, suggesting a shift from large-scale masterplans to more immediate, "surgical interventions" in existing neighborhoods. He argues that many post-war homes are more adaptable for splitting than commonly believed, offering a way to re-densify neighborhoods where the number of residents per household has declined over decades. This approach contrasts with the government's long-term focus on building 900,000 new homes by 2030, a goal that experts believe will not be met in time to address the immediate crisis. The implementation of house splitting policies varies significantly between municipalities, creating a complex regulatory landscape. While some cities like The Hague are actively relaxing rules to facilitate splitting, others like Delft have imposed stricter regulations in recent years to counter the conversion of family homes into student housing by investors. This local-level divergence highlights the tension between national housing goals and municipal concerns about neighborhood livability. This policy debate occurs within the broader context of the national housing program "Een thuis voor iedereen" ("A home for everyone"), which aims to increase the availability of affordable housing. The focus on splitting existing structures also aligns with circular economy principles by maximizing the use of the current building stock, a key goal for the Dutch government which aims for a 50% reduction in the use of primary raw materials by 2030 and a fully circular economy by 2050.
