Limburg, together with the municipalities of Heerlen, Maastricht, Roermond, Sittard-Geleen, Weert and Venlo, has written a plan, called Limburg Centraal, for housing within a radius of 1.5 kilometers from these stations, or a 15-minute walk. According to the province, the project will ‘not only give housing construction a boost, but also the economic development of Limburg and the quality of life in the immediate area’.
Of the 30,000 houses, 10,000 fall under the so-called Woondeal Limburg. This is an agreement between the government and Limburg for the construction of a total of 29,550 houses by 2030. The other homes that can be built within Limburg Central would be in addition to that target.
The government previously agreed with Limburg and municipalities to build 26,550 homes by 2030. Recently, an additional 3,000 homes were added. Limburg thinks that those numbers are feasible in any case.
Investment from the government needed
In addition, additional homes can be built in the region, but according to responsible deputy Michael Theuns, this will require investment from the government. “Spatially speaking, it is feasible,” he says. In addition, investments are also needed in, for example, the economy of the region. “You don’t want to build for people who are just going to commute.” According to Theuns, the new cabinet must decide whether the project can be eligible for special funds, for example.
The housing construction task is not going smoothly in all provinces. Gelderland, for example, thinks that the numbers agreed there for 2030 will not simply be achieved. According to Theuns, Limburg is ‘a different kind of province’ than others. There is still relatively much space in the province, he explains. According to him, the numbers of homes that the province must realize to meet the agreements for 2030 have so far been comfortably achieved.
