Agreement to accelerate housing construction in Zoetermeer
On March 6, the municipality of Zoetermeer and its partners within the Permanent Market Dialogue Zoetermeer (PMZ) signed the Zoetermeer 2026-2030 Construction Agreement. With this agreement, the municipality, housing associations, and market parties not only express their ambition to work together, but also make clear agreements to build homes faster and in a more targeted manner. The signing officially confirms the collaboration.
What exactly is changing?
Zoetermeer faces a major challenge: by 2040, approximately 10,800 additional homes will be needed. At the same time, existing neighborhoods need to be renovated so that housing, work, and amenities remain in balance with the city's growth. What is new is that parties are working on a single joint plan for each project, with the start of construction as the central focus. Projects are also being selected more carefully in terms of priority: time and capacity are being allocated first to promising and strategic locations.
In addition, the parties agree to discuss progress more frequently, resolve bottlenecks more quickly, and run procedures in parallel where possible. These agreements should minimize delays as much as possible. The goal is to increase construction output to an average of 700 homes per year. The focus will be on strategic locations and neighborhood renewal, with sufficient affordable housing for different target groups.
Focus on strategic locations
An important tool within the agreement is the so-called opportunity map. The opportunity map helps parties jointly determine which locations contribute most to housing construction and urban renewal. These locations are given priority: the municipality and partners focus their time, people, and resources on them first.
Alderman Jan Iedema: "With the Continuation Agreement, we are making tough choices. We are focusing our capacity on projects that really contribute to Zoetermeer's housing challenge. By prioritizing together and speeding up procedures, we are ensuring greater momentum and strong, future-proof neighborhoods."
Enhanced cooperation within the PMZ
Since 2021, the Permanent Market Dialogue Zoetermeer (PMZ) has been the platform in which the municipality, corporations, developers, builders, and investors work together structurally on the city's housing challenge. The new Construction Agreement is the joint implementation agenda for 2026-2030 and builds on previous agreements from 2021. Reciprocity, transparency, and accountability are central to the collaboration. New parties are also welcome to join the PMZ.
