During PROVADA 2026, the housing market is quite literally on the front line. What once had a bit of give now feels immovable. Shortages are structural, capital is scarce, and the available product does not sufficiently match demand. The question is no longer whether we need to intervene – but how we are going to win this battle together.

Under the overarching theme All Stand Together, we pose a challenging but necessary question: are we actually standing side by side? Or is everyone still operating from their own trench?

From direction to delivery
The government – represented by the Ministry of VRO – explicitly wants to take the lead. But what if exactly the same regulation slows the pace? What if policy and practice get in each other’s way when it comes to delivering desperately needed (square) metres?

In this debate, we bring the entire chain together:

Government (Ministry VRO) – on direction, policy and framework conditions
Housing association HaagWonen – on affordability and the social mission
Real estate investor Amvest – on investment appetite and returns
Developing builder Plegt-Vos – on deliverability and scaling up

Together, we explore where the system is breaking down – and where it can start moving again.

What do we need to win?
In its operations, Defence always asks the same core question: what do you need in order to organise decisive capacity? The answer is clear: sufficient personnel, good equipment, and a clear strategy.

The parallel with the housing market is unmistakable.

Personnel → capacity in construction and within government
Equipment → locations, permits and financing
Strategy → consistent direction and clear choices

Without these three elements, every ambition will remain stuck at good intentions.

From demand-led to supply-led
A fundamental discussion in this debate is whether we should move from demand-led to supply-led development. Do we keep delivering bespoke solutions in an overheated market, or do we choose for standardisation and industrial construction to achieve speed?

It is precisely here that the sector can make the difference. By organising smarter, building faster and allocating risks differently.

Rental market under pressure
A specific pain point is the rental housing market, which is visibly shrinking. Due to sales to tenants and other forms of withdrawal, the stock decreases, while demand remains high unabated. The consequences are tangible: rising rents in the private sector, longer waiting times and increasing pressure on affordability.

The key questions:

How do we increase the supply of rental homes?
How do we restore investment appetite among housing associations and real estate investors?
Which framework conditions are needed in order to build again in a truly structural way?

Only by pulling together – government, housing associations, investors and builders – can we break this downward spiral.

All Stand Together
This debate goes to the heart of PROVADA 2026. Because collaboration sounds obvious, but in practice it requires sharp choices and shared responsibility. Who takes which role? Who takes the lead? And do we really dare to stand alongside each other when things get tense?

Join this debate and think along with the question that concerns all of us: how do we get the housing market moving again – and who is actually standing next to whom?

Arjan Peerboom

Sessions

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Housing debate: The housing market on the frontline