This week, the Municipality of The Hague opened the first temporary Hou van je Huis (Love Your Home) walk-in desk at the Schroeder thrift store (Torenstraat 2). It marks the start of a series of temporary pop-ups that will travel through all districts of The Hague in the coming months. Residents can drop in without an appointment for free and independent advice on making their homes more sustainable and on subsidy options. The walk-in desk is free and open to the public. Residents can walk in without an appointment at the location in their neighborhood.
“ With this pop-up, we are literally bringing sustainability and assistance with it closer to our residents. Today we are opening a place that does exactly what we want: helping residents in a way that is close and accessible ,” says Alderman Arjen Kapteijns (Energy Transition).
The municipality has been supporting residents in making their homes more sustainable for some time. Since March, an important measure has been added: the city-wide insulation subsidy.
The first thousand applicants will receive €1,000 instead of €570. The scheme is intended for homes with energy labels D, E, F, or G, where insulation has the greatest effect. Insulating increases living comfort, retains heat better, and lowers the energy bill. The subsidy applies to roof, floor, facade, and glass insulation and can be combined with other subsidy schemes and support.
The subsidy is available to homeowners, Owners’ Associations, and housing associations. Residents with an Ooievaarspas or who previously received an energy allowance can receive up to €3,500 extra. This ensures that precisely the group that needs it most receives additional support.
An important advantage of this subsidy is that residents do not have to front the entire amount themselves. The municipality pays approximately 80% in advance, based on the quotation. The remainder follows after completion of the work.
At the Hou van je Huis walk-in desk, residents can simply walk in for advice on insulation, energy conservation, solar panels, green roofs, improving the energy label, or collaborating within the Owners’ Association. Hou van je Huis is for everyone: homeowners, tenants, and landlords.
“ Making things more sustainable works best when it is easy to just drop by. That is why our housing advisors are here in the city centre today, and in all districts in the coming months ,” says Kapteijns.
The Hou van je Huis walk-in desk will be traveling through The Hague in the coming weeks, each time with a theme relevant to the neighborhood, such as making monuments or homeowners’ associations more sustainable. All locations, dates, and themes can be found on the website of the Municipality of The Hague .
