Dutch housing inventory surpasses seven million mark

THE HAGUE – A new milestone has been reached in the Netherlands, now that the number of homes, including apartments, has surpassed the seven million mark. The country’s housing inventory increased by 87,537 in 2007. Housing officials also expect that the ministry’s target of 80,000 to 83,000 for 2008 will be met. Over 2007 Dutch demolition crews took down almost 20,000 living units. Another 4,000 houses were no longer available for residency. The numbers for 2007 and 2008 suggest that Dutch builders have less difficulty meeting the targets of the government, which for decades was plagued by housing shortages. The 2008 statistics do not take into account the effects of the current credit crisis since many units were started in the previous year. Officials note that the number of building permits has not yet shown a downward trend.