The N-VA wants to abolish the guideline for the quality and comfort level of social housing due to a record number of people on the waiting list, while Open VLD calls for increased building pace.
There are 199,085 candidates on the waiting list for social housing, a record number, as announced on Thursday by Housing Minister Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit). Over half of these candidates are single individuals.
"The core of the solution lies in more social housing, but this is not a simple task," says Gijs Degrande, an N-VA MP.
He advocates abolishing the social housing design guidelines, which set quality and comfort standards for new social housing and guidelines for creating safe, healthy, and environmentally conscious surroundings. Degrande argues that these regulations hinder innovation and speed.
"Let’s not forget: thousands of social houses are currently vacant, awaiting renovation or new tenants," he adds. "We urgently need to activate these homes. Every house counts."
Opposition party Open VLD also calls for a faster building pace and fewer regulations. MP Marianne Verhaert states, “You can’t even stack two bricks together in Flanders, which impacts not just those wanting to build homes but also the rental and social rental markets. The fundamental solution: fewer rules, more building, less waiting.”
She emphasises that private landlords should be seen as part of the solution, not the problem. "Stop treating them like criminals and view them as allies. The current Flemish Government’s policy only creates uncertainty and drives investors away."
