New social housing on Johan Wagenaarkade will be completed this year, partly with priority for older local residents

Dozens of new social rental homes on the Johan Wagenaarkade will be ready to be occupied within a few months. This concerns 54 homes that vary in the number of bedrooms and living space. Elderly people from the neighborhood are given priority to respond to some of these homes.

The houses will be located at the beginning of the Johan Wagenaarkade, close to the Mattheüskerk. Three blocks of so-called duplex homes have been demolished there to make way for the new buildings. The apartments will be located right on the canal.

Few social rental properties

Woonin says that it is ‘special’ that the apartments will be located in the Halve Maan neighborhood. For example, there are currently few social rental properties in the district. The fact that elderly people from the neighborhood are given priority to respond to the ultra-modern building is a conscious decision. “With neighborhood priority, the municipality of Utrecht and Woonin hope to stimulate traffic flow within the neighborhood,” can be read on the housing association’s website.

This does not mean that all homes will be given over to the elderly. One of the three new building blocks is reserved for seniors. There are only ten apartments in that building. The rest of the homes have no priority arrangement.

Different traffic situation

It has taken some time for the new construction to finally be almost complete. Already in 2018 there were plans to raze the duplex houses to the ground. The municipality wanted the buildings to be closer to the canal. As a result, part of the carriageway of the Johan Wagenaarkade had to be closed. By removing part of the roadway, the so-called traffic circulation in the neighborhood also had to be adjusted. which also took some time.

Woonin also says that the homes were somewhat delayed due to resistance from the neighborhood: “A local resident filed a case with the Council of State.” What exactly that objection entailed is unknown.

The expectation is that the first residential building will be completed in September. The other two buildings should follow ‘later this year’. All homes will be priced at a maximum of 879.66 euros per month, or the ceiling for social rent in 2024. Interested parties can go to an information meeting in the Matthew Church on Thursday, April 4.