"Demolition of thousands of homes Rotterdam is incomprehensible '

The Rotterdam College validly maintain that the city has a surplus of low-cost rental housing, says the national interest of tenants. There's just a shortage of cheap housing in the port city.

Rotterdam may express themselves end this month in a referendum on the Woonvisie 2030 from the College of Liveable Rotterdam, D66 and CDA. According to the plan of Alderman Ronald Schneider (LN) must be scrapped or sold 20,000 cheap apartments in the municipality.

At the same time, Schneider wants the next few years to build more housing for middle and higher incomes. According to the councilor, there is a shortage of something more expensive homes, leaving Rotterdam with higher incomes out of the city to leave.

The situation is worse than in cities such as Amsterdam and Utrecht. And Rotterdam will then demolish?

Opponents are supported by the Woonbond. It appears from the figures of the national tenants association that Rotterdam has a shortage of cheap rental housing. Director Ronald Paping find the demolition plans incomprehensible.

"Rotterdam has very little social housing compared with the target," he says. "The situation is worse than in cities such as Amsterdam and Utrecht. And those cities have realized that there is a shortage of cheap housing and are going to build. And Rotterdam will then demolish?"

That in Rotterdam earlier deficit than a surplus of low-cost rental housing, it appears under the Tenants include the long waiting lists for corporations.

The national tenants association is not opposed to more housing for middle and higher incomes for Rotterdam. "That's not a bad idea, but for Rotterdam have lower incomes do not get out of town. There is enough space to build," says Paping.

The Rotterdam referendum on 30 November.

The NIS Editors: Photo: Reuters