Wienke Bodewes

Wienke Bodewes

Chairman HPP

 

 

Let’s put our shoulders to the wheel!

In comparison to the European countries surrounding us, the Dutch economy is doing extremely well. There are cooling off signs, however, because global trade has come to a standstill. China is showing the lowest growth figures in years and even Brexit is casting its shadow way ahead. In the Netherlands, on the other hand, we see that the recent growth of the economy and the increasingly lower interest have serious consequences for the Dutch real estate sector. After the record year 2018, investments in real estate are continuously on the rise. Despite the substantial increase in prices, it is still a sensible choice, particularly in view of the low interest and the low returns in other asset categories.

The number of jobs in the Netherlands has risen spectacularly, making it increasingly more difficult for the construction and real estate sector to deploy sufficient capacity in order to meet the gradually increasing demand for building capacity in particular. It is quite worrisome that insufficient advantage can be taken of these favourable times. After all, society is asking for more and more houses, more offices and stores tailored to current times and definitely more properties with logistic advantages. The shortage in high quality real estate, the mounting building costs as well as increased requirements in many areas have caused prices to rise. Even in these favourable times, it is more necessary than ever before to link knowledge and expertise within the sector and join forces. The government, the development and construction sector, investors, financiers and advisors where all these fields are concerned will have to unite.

In the past, HPP has shown that they can fulfil an important bridging function. This is again necessary in current times. Not on the basis of a preconceived dogma, but mainly by offering thinkers and doers a platform to enter into talks with each other and benefit from each other’s expertise. There are still many challenges despite our prosperity. Examples are new challenges in infrastructure and mobility, the energy transition, the continued lagging behind of communities in parts of cities such as Rotterdam-Zuid, the mounting shortage of suitable houses for all types of households, prosperous and less prosperous.

It is hugely necessary to introduce more houses to the market, not just in a cramped form in inner cities, but also in well opened up areas outside the city limits. The realisation is starting to sink in but we have, unfortunately, lost a lot of time. In short, let’s put our shoulders to the wheel!

Wienke Bodewes
Chairman HPP