Post-2014 migrant''s access to housing, employment and other crucial resources in small- and medium-sized towns and rural areas in the Netherlands

Working Paper No. 4 - The Netherlands

This report looks at post-2014 migrants’ access to housing, employment, and other relevant resources in four small and medium-sized towns and rural areas in the Netherlands. Primarily based on interviews conducted in each of the four selected municipalities, it provides an overview of 1) the concrete barriers that post-2014 migrants are facing in relation to housing and employment; 2) the local actors who are involved in, and/or seen as responsible for, facilitating their access; 3) any concrete local measures or practices that help or hinder this access; and 4) the specific target groups of these measures, initiatives or practices.

The report finds that in the Netherlands, access to housing for recognized refugees who arrived after 2014 is highly specific because municipalities have the legal obligation to provide housing for them. The process of finding housing is severely impacted by the accumulation of two ‘crises’ as the Netherlands is currently experiencing a ‘housing crisis’ and a ‘reception crisis’. While the former has led to a shortage of social housing, the latter has increased the pressure on municipalities to find housing as fast as possible. Moreover, the settlement of post-2014 refugees in the localities has at times led to tensions between long-term residents and newcomers in neighborhoods with a higher concentration of social housing.