Housing deal (Woondeal) ensures more affordable accommodation on Bonaire
The Executive Council on Bonaire and Hugo de Jonge, Minister for Housing and Spatial Planning, today jointly signed the housing deal for Bonaire. The aim is to realise 2.124 affordable homes by the end of 2030. Minister De Jonge will be making €10 million available for the first phase of the housing deal, which will make it possible to realise the first 600 homes, and the accompanying infrastructure, as of 2025.
More affordable homes
At this moment in time, construction activities are in full swing on Bonaire. 444 social rental homes and affordable owner-occupied homes will be built by the end of 2025. The go-ahead has now been given to build 600 homes as of 2025, with a further 1.100 homes to be added in the later phases of the housing deal. This amounts to 2.124 extra affordable homes by the end of 2030.
There is great need to build new homes. The shortage of affordable homes has become a lot more acute on Bonaire in recent years. The population has grown significantly: from 15.528 inhabitants in 2010 to 24.090 on the 1st of January 2023. This means more people are looking for a home. The prices of building materials have also increased, while only a limited capacity is available. People from lower and medium-income households are finding it particularly difficult to find an affordable home. The Bonaire housing deal is a joint effort by the Executive Council of Bonaire and Minister De Jonge to achieve real change on this front.
Kick-off energy-poverty strategy
The housing deal was signed at the Hato site, where the Fundashon Cas Bonairiano (FCB) is currently building 254 homes, some of which are social rental homes, while others are affordable owner-occupied homes. The homes are being constructed using prefab modules, so that they can be completed faster. A lot of these homes will be energy-efficient; they will feature solar panels and battery-based energy storage. During a visit to the construction site, Minister De Jonge immediately kicked off the Public Entity of Bonaire's (OLB) strategy towards eliminating energy-poverty. The Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy have jointly assigned €900.000 for this purpose.
The construction project at the Hato site is one of a kind. It is rarely seen on many locations that prefab construction, solar panels and battery-based storage are combined on such a large scale.
The prefab production factory will be based on Bonaire in the future, so that production can take place with local resources and people. WEB (Water- en Elektriciteitsbedrijf Bonaire) will be monitoring this pilot in order to get a better insight into the personal consumption of tenants during the day, as well as the accompanying impact on the grid.
Helping to build affordable homes in a liveable neighbourhood
The housing deal is part of the Housing and Spatial Planning policy agenda for the Caribbean Netherlands. This was published on the 22nd of January 2023. The aim is to make affordable living possible for more people, and to protect the living environment on the islands. That is why focus is also being placed on better rental subsidies, rental committees on Saba and St. Eustatius and improved financing possibilities for buyers who find it difficult to get mortgages for their owner-occupied homes. A new spatial development programme will help to better protect the beautiful and unique features on land and sea. This programme will be released to the public on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius very shortly. Everyone will then be able to react to it.
