This is how you can get a house
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When you receive a residence permit, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) matches you with a municipality. The COA tries to match you with a municipality near where you can work. After you are matched with a municipality, the municipality will look for suitable housing. Usually this is social housing from a housing corporation. These are homes that are affordable for people with lower incomes.
What kind of house am I getting?
Once you are linked to a municipality, the municipality will look for suitable housing. Usually this is social housing from a
If you have a family, you are usually assigned a single-family home.
If you are young and single, you often get a room in a house with other people searching for housing. For example, with students and working young people.
Obligation to accept
You are obliged to accept the housing accommodation offered by a municipality. If you do not, you wonundefinedt get another offer.
Long queues due to housing crisis
Currently, there are more people seeking housing than available (rental) housing in the Netherlands. This is also called the housing crisis. As a result, it can take a long time before you are offered a home.
Staying with a host family
If you already have a residence permit, but there is no housing available for you yet, you can temporarily stay with a Dutch host family. You can register for this at
During the three-month stay you can get to know the Netherlands better. You get to know more Dutch people and you learn the Dutch language by talking to them. During the period of stay, you will remain on the waiting list for a home of your own.
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