Clustered housing

Most of us live in a house, but the apartment is advancing. Of the almost 8 million households, almost 5 million live in single-family dwellings, ranging from terraced houses to detached villas. In addition, the CBS recently counted 2.8 million multi-family dwellings, i.e. apartments or apartments. This proportion is growing slightly over the longer term. Of all households, over 3.7 million (47% of the total) are in the 55+ age group. The number of households in the 75+ category also accounts for a substantial share of this group: over 1 million. The number of elderly people will increase significantly in the coming decades. Housing for the elderly is therefore becoming an increasingly important issue. That is why a Housing for the Elderly Monitor has been set up, from which I derive some of the figures I just mentioned.

The most recent study again shows that people over 55 are less inclined to move than young people. They make up a third of the total population, but account for less than 15% of the number of moves. They are more likely to be satisfied with their homes and their living environment and attached to the neighborhood. It is always fun to translate these figures to people in our area. Because, of course, we all know people who, as a single older person or as an older couple, live in a reasonably spacious, often already paid-for house. And of course those elderly people themselves sometimes think: yes, what am I actually doing with all that space and what would a family with, say, three children be happy with. But then again, the grandchildren sometimes come to visit and it’s not a good idea to take the step to a much smaller apartment, often with much higher charges …. Until one starts to experience limitations that make it difficult to live in one’s own familiar home.

In my opinion, it is very difficult to realize a smooth flow here. Many people, including the elderly, cherish the space they have, even though they could do with less. I therefore see little point in trying to make ‘clustered housing for the elderly’ a spearhead of policy. Of course, there is a category of elderly people interested in ‘knarrenhofjes’ and let’s offer them possibilities. But I think that this is a very limited group and that stimulating these clustered housing forms will not achieve much.