ROTTERDAM, 4 February 2026 – Rotterdam says construction started on more than 12,500 homes between June 2022 and the end of 2025, with around 60% labelled “affordable” for starters, families and people needing housing quickly. The city is pointing to social rent, mid-market rent and flex homes as key parts of that mix.
Image: Working at height at Persoonsdam. Photo: David Rozing.
Alderman Chantal Zeegers, responsible for climate, building and housing, says the demand for affordable housing in Rotterdam remains huge and the city intends to keep pushing, even with tough conditions.
What “affordable” looks like in the numbers
Rotterdam breaks down the “affordable” share of the home starts as:
- 3,185 social rent homes (sociale huur)
- 4,164 mid-market rent homes (middenhuur)
- 441 flex homes (flexwoningen)
On top of that, the city says construction started on more than 1,300 student homes, with another 600 student homes in the Oostflank expected to start construction around mid-2026.
Building continues despite cost and space pressure
The city acknowledges headwinds: rising construction costs, limited space, and a long period where investors stepped back. Rotterdam says it has tried to keep projects moving through shorter procedures, fewer rules and a dedicated “build-through fund” (Doorbouwfonds) worth €59 million.
It also points to practical tools and working methods intended to prevent projects stalling, including a reporting point for rules that block progress (meldpunt knellende regels) and a “joint monitoring” approach with developers on large projects.
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Projects highlighted from Schiehaven to Pendrecht
Rotterdam highlights several examples across the city:
- Schiehaven Noord: an open digital platform for sharing building data, linked to a development of around 500 to 700 homes.
- De Kaai: a large-scale project described as 1,000 homes, using joint monitoring with developers.
- De Leeuwenkuil (Afrikaanderwijk), De Buitenkans (IJsselmonde) and Valckensteyn (Pendrecht): examples the city frames as “nature-inclusive” building, with Valckensteyn specifically described as a timber construction project.
The city also stresses sustainability as a baseline, with well-insulated, energy-efficient homes.
Dahliablok in Bloemhof reaches highest point
On 5 February, Zeegers will mark the highest point of the Dahliablok in Bloemhof with the construction teams. Rotterdam describes the project as 33 owner-occupied homes, with 67% classed as affordable, connected to a heat network, fitted with solar panels and built around a climate-adaptive courtyard garden.
The moment is also framed as a thank-you to the people building Rotterdam’s homes. Zeegers is set to place an aluminium window sill in a bay window as a symbolic nod from rough build to living phase, and to hand out chips to the workers on site.
