Viewpoint

A one-sided focus on affordable senior housing does not lead to flow

September 16, 2025

By Mark Willigers

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Modern apartment complex with white façades and glass balconies, surrounded by well-maintained gardens and a paved walkway.

Senior housing: the bottleneck in the Dutch housing market

The shortage of senior housing has a significant impact on the Dutch housing market. In 2024, only 1.4% of the 290,000 senior homes that need to be built by 2030 were actually realized. Especially zero-entry homes, clustered housing, and 24-hour care units are lagging behind. As a result, seniors remain in their current family homes longer, causing stagnation in the housing chain for families and first-time buyers.

Focus on affordability is counterproductive

The current government approach—outlined in the national program Housing and Care for the Elderly and translated by municipalities into strict quotas for social and mid-range rental housing—focuses almost exclusively on building affordable senior homes. However, this does not align with the actual housing preferences of seniors: more than half are looking for homes in the mid- or high-end segment, although this varies significantly by region. Consequently, seniors stay longer in their existing homes, limiting opportunities for young families and first-time buyers to move up the housing ladder. Additionally, scattered living in homes not suited for care leads to inefficiencies in care delivery and limited social interaction, which increases loneliness and reduces access to informal care.

Significant regional differences

Seniors are not a homogeneous group, and their housing needs vary greatly by municipality. In Alkmaar, demand is mainly for clustered housing and small-scale courtyards. Leiden shows a strong need for urban apartments and high-quality housing, reflecting its large population of affluent seniors. Zwolle focuses primarily on mid-range rentals and affordable care apartments. Eindhoven illustrates the consequences of misaligned policy: 40% of senior housing demand falls within the higher-end segment, while municipal policy is geared almost entirely toward affordability. Read our full report for an in-depth analysis of senior consumer profiles and regional differences.

Building for the target group

Understanding local target groups and their housing preferences is essential for effective demand-driven development. By combining data on income, housing type, and urbanization with socio-demographic segmentation, municipalities, developers, housing associations, and care providers can create housing that truly meets demand. This enables seniors to relocate within their familiar environment and maintain their local networks, thereby unlocking mobility in the housing market. The current supply-driven approach fails to achieve this.

More mobility and more efficient care

A demand-driven strategy not only improves housing market mobility but also enhances care efficiency. Clustering senior housing allows care providers to operate more effectively, while seniors can live independently for longer in homes that suit their needs and local connections. Creating these living environments requires flexibility, local customization, and collaboration between municipalities, developers, investors, housing associations, and care institutions.

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