Dutch municipalities have welcomed the Dutch Cabinet’s decision to allocate 355 million euros for infrastructure needed to build nearly 30,000 homes. The municipalities, including Alkmaar, Apeldoorn, Hengelo/Enschede, and Helmond, are part of a broader investment of over 16 billion in maintaining and renewing roads, bridges, railways, and waterways.
The municipalities called the allocation “good news for people looking for housing and for the development of our cities.” The money is intended to make planned housing developments accessible rather than to pay directly for the construction of homes.
“With this contribution, the municipalities can move forward with plans for more than 30,000 homes and the roads, cycling routes, and public transport connections needed for them,” the four municipalities told news agency ANP in a joint statement.
In Alkmaar, the funding will reportedly help pay for a bridge and a tunnel to improve access to new neighborhoods expected to contain more than 10,000 homes, said Gijsbert van Iterson Scholten, alderman of the city. In Hengelo and Enschede, the money will support infrastructure, including tunnels and an underground bicycle parking near Enschede’s train station.
Helmond’s municipality called the investment a “significant boost.” New homes are planned in the city center, the Stationskwartier district, and surrounding areas. In Apeldoorn, housing development is planned in the area known as BSK, referring to the city center, railway, and canal.
