Brabant is becoming increasingly crowded and many people from Brabant cannot find a suitable home in our province. Eight out of ten Brabanders therefore believe that when allocating a house priority should be given to residents of their own municipality over people from outside the municipality. This emerges from a Newcom research commissioned by Omroep Brabant.
947 Brabanders of different ages and backgrounds from all parts of the province participated in the study. Newcom questioned them about the problems in the Brabant property market.
Wait as long as anyone
41 percent of the Brabanders surveyed have tried to relocate in the past four years. Less than half of them have actually moved. There is great pressure on the housing market and this is not only due to Brabant residents looking for a new home.
The province has the task of offering accommodation to holders of residence permits in Brabant. In some municipalities in the Netherlands, beneficiaries receive priority housing. 73 percent of Brabant people believe holders of the status should register for a house and wait as long as anyone else.
This percentage is lower for Ukrainian refugees. Just over half of Brabant’s population thinks that Ukrainian refugees have to wait as long as others.
Affordable housing impossible
Our province is also an attractive place to live for expatriates. The Brainport region is especially popular. The influx of expats and international students into Southeast Brabant is therefore seen as one of the causes of the overheating of the property market.
71 percent of Brabant people in South-East Brabant believe that the influx of expats makes it impossible to find affordable housing in the Eindhoven region. 72 percent therefore believe that residents of their own municipality should have priority over expatriates in obtaining a home.
According to 66 percent of Brabant residents in Southeast Brabant, Dutch students should have priority over international students when it comes to finding a room. One in six believe institutions should stop actively recruiting international students due to a shortage of student rooms.
Who can do it?
So the real estate market is busy. But who is there? If it depends on the inhabitants of Brabant, it is clear: eight out of ten Brabants believe that residents of their municipality should have priority in allocating a house. It is striking that older people in particular support it relatively more often: 84% of the over 65s agree.
Housing debate
The housing shortage is a large problem. The housing crisis is at the heart of the debate Omroep Brabant will hold on Tuesday evening at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Experts and stakeholders will also have their say.
Interested parties are invited from 19:30 to participate in the debate in the main building of the Atlas. The television recording will begin at 20.00 and thereafter there will be an opportunity for guests and the public to speak. The Brabant housing debate is broadcast by Omroep Brabant on Saturdays at 4, 7 and 10 pm and Sundays at 11 and 4 pm. The debate can be viewed online on the regional broadcaster’s website and app.
