We believe it's important that people have access to affordable housing. After all, housing is a primary need. Without a home, people cannot climb the hierarchy of needs:
Affordable housing
“Affordable housing” is a key focus for AM. By affordable, we mean that various groups have prospects for affordable housing, such as middle-income individuals, seniors, and young people. AM collaborates with municipalities, housing associations, knowledge institutes, and market parties to find solutions for affordable housing.
In various cities, we have developed smaller, affordable apartments for young people, and in the coming years, we will continue to work towards affordable options for these and other target groups, such as seniors. Thinking from the perspective of these target groups is essential. With our knowledge and experience, we aim to accelerate the construction of more affordable homes in the coming years, in collaboration with other parties.
Living as a primary need
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Every move is a next step in people's lives. It signifies progress, growth, and happiness. Those who facilitate mobility in the housing market are therefore fostering happiness.
Housing concepts
To realize affordable housing, AM develops special housing concepts. An example of this is the innovative living concept called "Friends." In this concept, multiple people – often two or three – live together as 'friends' in one apartment. With the Friends living concept, we create affordable housing for people who have less financial availability and yet can live in the city. The Friends apartments are typically around 70 to 75 square meters on average. Each resident has at least one private bedroom. Often, the other spaces, such as the kitchen and sometimes the bathroom, are shared.
Moveable homes
To tackle housing shortages and provide affordable housing, AM is collaborating with ABN AMRO. Together, we are developing plans for movable and affordable homes. The realization of movable and demountable homes offers a quick solution for the housing shortage in development locations where spatial planning procedures for housing construction take more time. This allows for flexible responses to the housing demand and efficient utilization of available space. In addition to movable homes, ABN AMRO and AM are joining forces to realize and finance more affordable homes due to scarcity and limited mobility options in the mid-market segment.
Examples
Other recent examples of integrating affordable housing into new developments include the Laurierkwartier in Utrecht and Stadsveteraan in Amsterdam. Upon completion of the Laurierkwartier, 69 out of 97 homes were offered in the mid-rental segment with pre-set rents and a maximum annual rent indexation. These homes fall under the Mid-Rental Action Plan, in which the municipality of Utrecht and various market parties, including a.s.r. real estate and AM, work together to increase the supply of mid-rental homes in Utrecht. The remaining 28 single-family homes are rented out in the private sector.
Stadsveteraan in the Amstelkwartier is a residential complex with 114 social rental homes for vital seniors in the Amsterdam Amstelkwartier area. Tenants live independently or share a home with one or two others, and have access to communal spaces and shared facilities such as the cooking studio, garden room, and beautiful inner courtyard. According to the schedule, the building is expected to be occupied by early 2024.