1. Housing and governance in the Netherlands international Conference on social housing Milano, 5th march 2009 Rogier Noyon, board of directors of Stadgenoot

2. 2 History of Dutch social housing —First housing associations 1850-1900 —Housing Act 1901 —Large increase in number of housing associations —Small scale —Large production of houses 1916-1925 — Production after world war II — Government’s role — 1995, housing associations more or less independent — Building without subsidies

3. 3 Today in the Netherlands —16,5 million inhabitants —7 million houses —4 million owner-occupied houses (56%) —3 million rented houses (44%) —2,3 million social houses (33%)

4. 4 Today in Amsterdam —740.000 inhabitants —380.000 houses —103.000 owner-occupied houses (27%) —277.000 rented houses (73%) —192.000 social houses (51%)

5. Stadgenoot 35.000 houses in Amsterdam. 400 new houses each year Social houses are not profitable How to build without subsidies? We are rich!

6. 6 72 areas 10 areas with relatively many dwellings, strong influence 20 average areas/ influence 22 areas with little dwelling/ influence 20 areas without dwellings/ influence

7. huur exploiteren Our stock as a train woningen

8. verkoop nieuwbouw Our stock as a train woningen huur aankoppelen afkoppelen exploiteren

9. verkoop nieuwbouw woningen waardever- zilvering kwaliteits- verbetering revolving fund huur afkoppelen Our stock as a train exploiterenaankoppelen

10. Stadgenoot We are rich! But: Who owns Stadgenoot?

11. Nobody! Regulation by 1 law 2 financing structure 3 self regulation

12. — Assure good quality in dwellings — Guarantee financial continuity — Priority to special attention groups — Involve tenants in policy and management — Quality of life — Housing of those in need of care Rules governing social rented sector: BBSH

13. Financing and guarantee structure — First security: Central Fund (CFV) — Secondary security: social housing guarantee fund (WSW) — Tertiary security: state backup — Open capital market — Financing by colleagues

14. Housing organisation GovernmentGovernment Local authority Tenants Rent subsidy Rent Financial institutions Central Fund WSWWSW Loans Guarantee Subsidy

15. Current issues — Relationship government vs. social housing organisations (more regulation or opting out): more selfregulation — Production needed, but what about the financial crisis? — Investing in neighbourhoods — Corporate Tax, like the private sector — European dimension — Imageproblem (“associations have lots of – public - money and do nothing”) — Focus on Good Governance in a complex world

16. Self regulation Good governance: three items: - Strong demands on functioning of the board of directors - Strong demands on functioning supervisory board. More internal control means less or more selective control by the government - Stuctural proces of sociale accountability towards stakeholders Tool = Governance Code

17. Governance Code — Aedes (alliance of housing associations) made the AedesCode in 2002 — The code contains standards for good management, control, transparancy, external responsibility and financial control. What to do and what not! — Guidelines for the internal control (what is a good supervisory board, how many people, how to select them, integrity) Measuring is knowing: — examination by an independent external organisation, check on the social and financial preformance) — Benchmarking, comparison to other housing associations

18. Transparancy: from vertical to horizontal accountability —Without transparancy no accountability! —Transparancy towards tenants and stakeholders Examples: Publish your policy (annual account) Publish your internal controlsystem (regulation of the board) Limit the payment of the boardmembers (The Balkenende norm)

19. Structure Stadgenoot Board of executives Supervisory board tenants employees management Local authorities stakeholders Representatives of tenants 2 members Performance deals Social anchorage organisation

20. Supervisory Board —Surroundings more complex: quality and professionality on a higher level —Board watches over the principles, housing efforts, finance and relation with stakeholders —Board is sparring partner on a strategic level for the board of directors —Board watches over the integrety within the organisation (based on the governance code) —Not on the chair of the board of directors, but not to far away (proper distance) —Board approves the annual report and the budget —Board is the employer of the board of directors

21. How good are we in being good? — Surveys — Conferences — Debate — Publications — Sponsoring — Etc.

22. 22 Any questions?