Many of those who stay are also struggling. One in four residents has a housing quota of more than 30 per cent. The number of people on waiting lists for social housing is constantly increasing. At the social housing association Dijledal, the counter now stands at 5,379 people, at SWAL at 2,874, at the social rental agency SPIT at 3,700...
In order to free up more resources for affordable housing projects, we must first look at the enormous profits made from the sale of homes. The total turnover from the sale of houses and apartments in Leuven amounted to 411.6 million euros in 2020. Between 2010 and 2020, the average sale price of a house rose from 252,250 to 358,000 euros (+41.9 per cent) and that of an apartment from 155,000 to 230,000 euros (+48.3 per cent). Compared to 1974 (average €16,681), houses in Leuven have now become more than 21 times more expensive. The profits made on a sale are therefore enormous and are only taxed to a limited extent if the seller was not domiciled there in the past year.
Cover: © Luc Vanheerentals
