New task force to boost affordable and sustainable housing
Flanders is establishing a task force to enable larger, more affordable and more sustainable housing. The plan was announced on Monday in the Flemish parliament.
By 2050, Flanders will need 450,000 additional homes to accommodate an ageing population and a rise in smaller households. Meanwhile, the rental market remains overheated, and no new open space can be developed after 2040.
These constraints pose what Flemish Housing minister Melissa Depraetere of Vooruit) and Environment minister Jo Brouns of CD&V call a "gigantic challenge". The task force will focus on sustainable housing in well-located areas, ensuring affordability while preserving nature, greenery, and water management.
Creative solutions
Depraetere highlighted the scale of the investment, stating that a "historic budget" of 6 billion euros will be allocated this legislative term to build and renovate additional social housing. She also underscored the importance of supporting local authorities and exploring creative solutions, such as repurposing public buildings.
The initiative aligns with broader European trends, where affordable housing is under pressure. In 2022, the EU average housing cost burden - the share of disposable income spent on housing - was 19.6 per cent, but it was significantly higher in countries like Germany (24.5 per cent) and Denmark (25.4 per cent), according to Eurostat.
These affordability concerns are prompting governments to explore new strategies, such as streamlining building regulations and repurposing existing structures.
"People must have access to public transport, and there must be sufficient facilities in the area"
To accelerate the process, the Flemish task force will also work to remove bureaucratic obstacles. "In order to make the permit procedures in Flanders work more smoothly, I set up a mixed committee of experts at the beginning of this year, which must present all its conclusions by September," Brouns said. "Of course, the housing task force will also be able to make its contribution."
Beyond increasing supply, the task force will focus on sustainable housing solutions. "Housing must be a total package. For example, people must have access to public transport, and there must be sufficient facilities in the area," Depraetere said.
The task force will convene for the first time this month to outline its work plan. By the second year, it will begin monitoring concrete achievements.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO BERNARD HERMANT / UNSPLASH
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