The European Commission has announced a new initiative aimed at improving housing policy in Europe: the establishment of the Housing Advisory Board. The Board will consist of up to 15 independent experts who will be appointed to develop policy recommendations for the upcoming European Affordable Housing Plan. The Commission is currently seeking experts with proven…

Dutch households are generally satisfied with their homes. Recent research shows that, on average, residents give their homes a solid pass grade. Nevertheless, many people face difficulties in realizing their housing preferences, particularly due to long waiting lists for social housing and the high costs in the private rental and owner-occupied housing markets. The study,…

On Wednesday, March 19, the Housing Lab will be launched during the symposium “Investeren in Volkhuisvesting” (Dutch spoken), organized by the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (Centraal Planbureau). The Housing Lab is an initiative by Vrije Universiteit researchers Hans Koster and Jan Rouwendal. Bundling Research Hans Koster, Professor of Urban Economics and Real Estate…

Between 2016 and 2023 temporary rental contracts were allowed in the Netherlands. The maximum duration of stay under such a contract was two years. The purpose of introducing such contracts was to improve the functioning of the housing market. What have been the effects of these contracts? That is the question that Maureen Lankhuizen and…

Drug consumption rooms lead to a significant reduction in drug use and drug-related crime, as evidenced by research from VU Amsterdam professor of Urban Economics and Real Estate, Hans Koster, and Sofia Franco (University of California – Irvine). What’s also striking is that in neighbourhoods with these spaces, house prices increased by 2.5%. A consumption…

What would you do? Say you’re about to move, but your current home hasn’t sold yet. Do you opt for a low asking price, which means a quick sale at a low(er) but acceptable price? Or do you opt for a higher asking price and wait for higher bids?

An article on ‘The welfare effects of Greenbelt policy – Evidence from England’, authored by Hans Koster, is forthcoming in the Economic Journal. The central research question driving this article revolves around the debate concerning whether imposing restrictions on urban expansion is a good idea or not.

How to handle the lack of affordable housing in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area? Simply building more is not the only solution, according to Henri de Groot in the Dutch AT5 tv programme Bouw Woon Leef.