Housing cooperative Staedion organized a “speed dating” event to introduce single tenants to each other.
As in many Dutch cities, there is a serious housing shortage in The Hague, the center of government. In the city, the waiting period for renting social housing is up to 7 years.
Across the Netherlands, the problem is growing as the number of new constructions is below the housing requirement.
Although most social housing is built for families, more and more single people live alone in houses with 3 to 4 rooms. According to the estimates of the Dutch Statistical Institute, by 2047 almost one in four adults will remain single in the country.
Staedion, the largest housing cooperative in The Hague with 37,000 homes, therefore decided to match single tenants with each other. The houses that will be vacated as a result of the move of single people to each other will be given to the next in need, thus shortening the waiting lists.
ORGANIZED BY A PROFESSIONAL MATCHING AGENCY
The matchmaker event, which was thought to be an “April Fool’s joke” when announced, was held in The Hague last weekend. More than 60 single tenants attended the event, where no journalists were invited to protect the privacy of the attendees.
Speed dating at the housing agency’s headquarters in The Hague was organized by a professional matchmaking agency. Potential matches were made beforehand among the single applicants who applied.
During the speed meeting, the participants had the opportunity to meet and chat with each other. “There’s been a lot of rapprochement. So we definitely hope that a lot of beautiful romances or friendships will start,” said Linda and Corrien from the matchmaking agency.
Staedion spokesperson also stated that it was a very good event and that they will wait and see what happens next, adding that the matchmaking agency is investigating whether the participants want to see each other again.
“A ONE-TIME EVENT”
Staedion Chairman Gijsbert van Herk described speed dating as “a one-off, fun event designed not only to make relationship seekers happy in love, but also to draw attention to housing shortages.”
In a statement to the newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, the head of the cooperative stated that they are making great efforts to build as many houses as possible, adding, “However, this is not the only solution. We also see opportunities to make better use of existing property by increasing efficiency. To do this, we must do this. “We have to remove the barriers,” he said.
That’s why the housing cooperative is also working on other creative solutions to make living together easier. For example, if the relationship ends, the tenant will be able to return to their own house or renting a house with a friend will be facilitated.
According to the organization, there are 2,000 tenants over the age of 75 living alone in residences in The Hague. Studies show that more than half of adult tenants feel lonely.
Van Herk does not know how many houses the speed dating event will bring to the cooperative, but emphasizes that the more houses that are vacated, the more successful it will be.
In The Hague, 150,000 people are currently on the waiting list for rental social housing. In recent years, the growing problem due to the construction of a small number of houses has also led to an increase in rents.
The Dutch government will build 900 thousand new homes over the next 8 years to combat the growing housing crisis. Low and middle income groups will be given priority in new residences.
350 thousand of the 900 thousand houses expected to be completed by 2030 will be allocated to middle income groups. 250 thousand residences will also be used as social rental houses.