Outgoing Minister for Housing and Spatial Planning, Mona Keijzer, visited the Grasbuurt 4 project in Delft’s Professor Schoemaker Plantage today. The visit was hosted by Gilbert Kokenberg (AM). The minister spoke with Alderman Karin Schrederhof (Delft) and Jacco Maan (Vidomes) about accelerating housing construction. The challenges and possible solutions were discussed. The minister also festively unveiled a Delft Blue tile that will soon adorn the communal meeting area.

“I’m here today to show all home seekers that we’re actually building,” said Minister Mona Keijzer. She also addressed the question of what’s needed to accelerate housing construction: “Municipalities still too often impose additional requirements on top of the Building Works and Living Environment Decree, even though that already guarantees sufficient quality. These additional requirements make projects unnecessarily expensive and unprofitable. If we stop doing that, we can build faster and more affordably, exactly what people are waiting for. The fact that the Council of State is prioritizing housing construction procedures is a boost, and my ministry is working hard to achieve that acceleration.”

Green and livable neighborhood
The new residential building in the Grasbuurt neighborhood offers 110 energy-efficient apartments with two, three, or four rooms, suitable for a wide target group from first-time buyers to families, thus contributing to a better flow in the Delft housing market. BAM Wonen is building the project, which is part of the Professor Schoemaker Plantage: a green, spacious neighborhood on the edge of Delft University of Technology, with a mix of owner-occupied and rental properties. Here, biodiversity, climate adaptation, and an attractive living environment converge, thanks in part to a 2.5-hectare park and a tiny forest with more than 1,000 trees of 36 native species.

Jacco Maan, director of Vidomes, says: “It’s fantastic for all those home seekers that these homes have been successfully built! Unfortunately, the timeframes leading up to the start of construction usually take far too long. Together with other housing associations, we’re working with municipalities, developers, and builders to accelerate the turnaround time. It really needs to be faster!”

A sustainable and green neighborhood; ready for the future
Gilbert Kokenberg, Director of Project Development at AM: “We are proud to complete the final section of Professor Schoemaker Plantage with these 110 homes. Thanks to the excellent collaboration with Vidomes, we are not only adding affordable housing but also a meaningful place where people can feel at home. Together, we are continuing to build a sustainable, green, and inclusive neighborhood that is ready for the future. We are therefore honored that Minister Mona Keijzer highlighted this today.”

About AM

Designing and developing inspiring and sustainable living environments is AM’s passion. As a committed area developer, we place societal challenges at the heart of our development process. We collaborate with stakeholders based on conceptual strength, innovation, and co-creation. Inspired by current social themes, we place particular emphasis on affordable housing and climate-positive area development . In collaboration with government agencies, real estate investors, housing associations, community organizations, residents, and other property users, this creates unique and high-quality areas for living, working, shopping, and recreation. AM, part of Royal BAM Group, thus ensures both quality of space and quality of life. See also www.am.nl.

About Vidomes
Vidomes is an entrepreneurial housing association in the Haaglanden region. Together with our partners, we work every day to provide affordable and comfortable housing for everyone, now and in the future. Vidomes manages and rents out approximately 19,000 homes. You’ll find us in Zoetermeer, Leidschendam-Voorburg, Delft, Rijswijk, and the Leidschenveen neighborhood of The Hague.

Text & Images provided by AM. Translation to English – Delft Online