About one in every twelve social housing units in the Netherlands is designated for asylum seekers.
In 2023, about 8% of the social housing units managed by Dutch housing associations were allocated to approved asylum seekers, marking a significant increase from previous years and sparking controversy amid the ongoing housing crisis in the country.
12,729 families with one or more asylum seekers lived in social housing units that year, out of a total of 161,000 units available nationwide. This represents an increase of approximately one percentage point compared to the figures for 2022, and is nearly double the rates before the COVID-19 pandemic, which sometimes reached 4%.
Social housing accounts for about a third of all homes in the Netherlands and is often provided by housing associations. These associations operate as non-profit organizations, fully funded by rental income, and reinvest profits into building new units, without receiving direct funding from the government.
Only asylum seekers whose applications have been approved and who have obtained residence permits are entitled to benefit from the social housing units provided by associations. Local authorities distribute the available units according to waiting lists, adhering to the established laws and quotas, with rare exceptions in cases of extreme necessity.
The allocation rates vary significantly between regions. The city of Alkmaar and its surrounding areas recorded the highest rate, with 13% of social housing going to asylum seekers, while Delfzijl allocated only 2%. High concentrations in some areas have previously led to protests and confrontations, fueled by residents' anger over the lack of housing and the rise of far-right movements.