Environmental policies and efforts in social housing: The Netherlands

Although progressive government guidelines and awareness of sustainable issues exists, progress in sustainable management in the social housing sector has been slow. A market research survey and analysis of the sustainable housing management by Dutch housing associations indicates the areas and organizations where policies, instruments and practices are focussed or lacking. Longitudinal trends are established using further surveys from 1993, 1998 and 2000 as well as comparing national strategies from five European Union countries (the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, France and Finland). Results indicate that efforts in sustainable management are misplaced with emphasis on procuring new buildings, not on operation and maintenance. Several barriers at the policy and strategy level are identified, especially the perceived costs of implementing environmental management, the lack of market demand and the poor capture of benefits. Special recommendations for government, housing associations and occupants are based on the findings - widening the focus of issues on sustainability, emphasizing the existing building stock, increasing the use of voluntary agreements, recognizing different capabilities in scale of housing associations and creating market demand.