A city where every neighbourhood is a pleasant place to live: that is the shared ambition of the municipality of The Hague, housing associations, and tenants’ organisations. Convinced that strong public housing is the foundation for this, they recently signed the Housing Framework Agreement for The Hague 2026-2030.
“With the agreements laid out in the agreement, we will strengthen the resilience and quality of life in all parts of the city,” says Alderman Co Engberts (Housing, Welfare, Neighbourhoods, and Southwest). “Over the next five years, we will work together to achieve this: we will build and improve homes and make neighborhoods more pleasant. This latter goal will include greening and creating meeting places.”
The Housing Framework Agreement (ROK) runs from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2030. With these multi-year agreements, the parties involved have chosen a clear long-term course. This is essential in a city whose population will continue to grow in the coming years.
Mohamed Baba, chairman of the board of Haag Wonen, states on behalf of the housing associations involved: “We are pleased with this framework agreement, which allows us to focus on the ambitions outlined in the Housing Vision 2040 for The Hague. We have made clear agreements about everyone’s role and hold each other accountable for results. Together with the municipality and partners, we are committed to livable neighborhoods, sufficient and affordable social housing, sustainability, and assisted living. By monitoring progress, we ensure that residents and home seekers truly see the impact, even though the challenges are significant and resources are limited.”
Acceleration and improvement
Housing availability is a key component of the ROK. The signatories are committed to accelerating new construction, improving mobility, and providing suitable housing for first-time buyers, families, seniors, and those requiring support or care. They aim to make better use of existing housing through initiatives such as landlord rentals and friendly contracts. Together, they are working regionally to ensure a sufficiently distributed housing supply, preventing shortages from putting pressure on specific neighborhoods.
Peter van den Heuij, chairman of the Arcade Tenants Association, expressed satisfaction with the agreement on behalf of the tenants’ organizations: “At least 70% of the available rental properties will be allocated to regular home seekers. That’s one of the points we, as tenants’ organizations, consider important. Together with the ROK, we ensure that tenants’ interests are and remain protected.”
Furthermore, the focus is on housing affordability. The stakeholders believe that The Hague must remain an accessible city for people in different stages of life and with diverse incomes and backgrounds. By providing more affordable housing and reducing energy costs through sustainability, housing costs can be reduced.
City for everyone
The signatories also aim for a an undivided city: a city for everyone , with diverse neighbourhoods. A balanced distribution of social housing and a good distribution of target groups throughout the city can contribute to this. Every neighborhood should be a place where people from diverse backgrounds can live, work, grow up, and meet each other.
“The conclusion of the Housing Framework Agreement isn’t just good news for people looking for suitable, affordable, and sustainable housing,” says Alderman Co Engberts. “The agreements also aim to maintain and enhance the city’s quality of life. This benefits everyone who lives, works, or does business in The Hague.”
Text & image: Gemeente Den Haag
Translation: The Hague Online