The ‘Mind the Gap’ graduation project of Vera van Wijk researches the ways in which specifically tailored designs can help close the growing gap between social housing and private housing on the housing market. It is becoming more and more difficult for a particular group of people to get suitable and affordable homes. Usually, they do not qualify for social housing, nor do they earn enough to find a suitable home in the private sector. The group falling into this gap is growing and becoming more diverse. This problem is further aggravated by new strict rules and regulations of banks to get a loan or mortgage. Furthermore, houses are becoming scarce which drives up the price of the homes in the neighborhood. It is a problem occurring not only nationally but also internationally. The poor are being driven out of the city, while the rich take their place. In the Netherlands, the problem can be seen in many of the bigger cities, like Rotterdam.
The municipality of Rotterdam wants to tackle the problem by investing in houses for the middle income because they believe there are too many houses available for the lower incomes. One can question whether this is the right thing to do as there is a 4-year waiting list for social housing at the moment. Next to this, the plan may lead to gentrification. This happens when people of lower income are driven out of the neighborhood to simply be replaced by people of higher income. This only leads to a shift in the location of the problem.
The housing market problem explained above has been researched more in depth by Vera by looking at…
- … the target groups: who are they, what can they afford and what are their needs?
- … affordable housing: how can this be designed the present while at the same time taking into account the future?
- … sustainability: how can sustainability contribute to the affordability and (spatial) quality of the houses?
During this research, Vera used several different methods. She did not only look at the literature surrounding this topic but also researched the neighborhood Zuidwijk empirically. Empirical research, in this case, meant looking at the current buildings and surroundings of Zuidwijk and talking to its inhabitants.
The research has provided enough answers and information for proposing a solution to this expanding housing market problem. It has led to a design project in which social housing buildings are going to be renovated and redesigned to fit the needs and wishes of residents while also keeping in mind the particular history and image of the neighborhood Zuidwijk. In this design houses are made more sustainable, houses for low and middle income are being combined, and new houses are designed to fit the neighborhood and its inhabitants better.
