Press

Minister Mona Keijzer visits Professor Schoemaker Plantage in Delft and underlines need to accelerate housing construction

7 July 2025

Demissionary Minister for Housing and Spatial Planning, Mona Keijzer visited the Grass Neighbourhood 4 project in Delft’s Professor Schoemaker Plantation today. Host of the visit was Gilbert Kokenberg (AM). The minister talked to alderwoman Karin Schrederhof (Delft) and Jacco Maan (Vidomes) about the acceleration of housing construction. The challenges as well as possible solutions were discussed. The minister also festively unveiled a Delft Blue tile that will decorate the communal meeting area.

‘I am here today to also show all house hunters that we are actually building,’ Minister Mona Keijzer told us. She also addressed the question of what is needed to speed up housing construction: "Municipalities still too often impose additional requirements on top of the Building Works Decree for the Living Environment, even though that already guarantees sufficient quality. Those pluses make projects unnecessarily expensive and unprofitable. If we stop doing that, we can build faster and more affordably, exactly what people are waiting for. The fact that the Council of State gives priority to housing procedures is supportive, and from my ministry we are pulling hard to make this acceleration a reality."

Green and liveable neighbourhood

The new residential building in the Grasbuurt offers 110 energy-efficient flats with two, three or four rooms, suitable for a broad target group from starters to families, thus contributing to a better flow on the Delft housing market. BAM Wonen is building the project, which is part of the Professor Schoemaker Plantage: a green, spacious neighbourhood on the edge of TU Delft, with a mix of owner-occupied and rented housing. Biodiversity, climate adaptation and an attractive living environment come together here, thanks in part to a 2.5-hectare park and a so-called tiny forest with more than 1,000 trees of 36 native species.

Jacco Maan, director Vidomes says: "Very nice for all those house hunters that it has been possible to start building these houses! Unfortunately, the processes leading up to the start of construction usually take far too long. Together with other housing associations, we are committed to working with municipalities, developers and builders to speed up the process. It really must be faster!"

Building a sustainable and green neighbourhood; ready for the future.

Gilbert Kokenberg, director of project development at AM: "We are proud to complete the final part of Professor Schoemaker Plantage with these 110 homes. Thanks to the pleasant cooperation with Vidomes, we are not only adding affordable housing here, but also a meaningful place where people can feel at home. Together, we are thus continuing to build a sustainable, green and inclusive neighbourhood that is ready for the future. We are therefore honoured that Minister Mona Keijzer paid attention to this today."