Utrecht housing market: nearly twelve years of waiting and few reports of discrimination

In a short video from Omroep AfroNet, Jay Sadhoe and Michel Aben lay out the scarcity on the Utrecht housing market. Aben explains why so few reports of discrimination in the search for a home come in.

Anyone who registers in Utrecht for a social rental home waits almost twelve years on average. That is what Jay Sadhoe says in a new video from Omroep AfroNet, published on 29 September 2026 as part of AfroNet Shorts. In it, Sadhoe sets figures on scarcity, vacancy and withheld land side by side. Michel Aben of Discriminatie.nl then explains why discrimination on the housing market is rarely reported.

Jay Sadhoe and Michel Aben are the two guests in the conversation. Aben speaks on behalf of Discriminatie.nl, the national reporting point. A host from AfroNet asks the questions, notes down the figures mentioned and says the conversation will come back to them later.

Nearly twelve years of waiting

Sadhoe begins with a short sketch of the situation. According to him, anyone who registers in Utrecht faces an average waiting time of almost twelve years. Around 2,900 social rental homes are allocated each year. The chance of actually getting a home is around 2.8 percent, he says, as he read recently.

According to Sadhoe, that shows there really is scarcity. He points out that the conversation often focuses on a housing shortage, but that this is only part of the story.

Vacancy and withheld land

Sadhoe mentions three figures that, in his view, show more is possible. In Utrecht alone, 1,600 homes stand empty. In addition, 143,000 square metres of office space remain unused, which he says could be converted into housing. Large property companies are also holding on to 80,000 square metres of plots.

Sadhoe describes this last group as real estate giants, including a number of insurance companies. He claims they refuse to sell to a developer or the municipality until they get an extortionate price. The video does not include a response from the parties named.

This was also his main message during the municipal elections, he says. According to Sadhoe, citizens need to do something with this, and politicians must take action too. The host thanks him for the figures and says the conversation will return to them later.

Seven reports about housing

Then it is Michel Aben's turn. According to him, research shows that discrimination on the housing market does occur. Translated into the reports Discriminatie.nl receives, however, that picture is very small and not representative of how things go in practice.

Aben gives an example. Last year Discriminatie.nl received almost 2,900 reports, he says. He looked into it and found that seven concerned an experience of discrimination in housing. Two of them were about sexual orientation, one about nationality and four about origin. According to Aben, that is "het topje van de ijsberg".

Why people do not report

The host asks how those figures could give a fairer picture. Aben names several reasons. Many people do not yet know Discriminatie.nl. Others do not know what you can do with a report, or how the burden of proof works.

He explains that burden of proof. Under equal treatment legislation, a reversed burden of proof applies. You do not have to prove everything yourself, but you do have to present facts that give rise to a suspicion of discrimination. Then the other party must show that there was no discrimination.

But anyone who only has a feeling, or an email that does not literally say skin colour is the reason, quickly starts to doubt, according to Aben. You wonder whether you want to put energy into it, and as a result no report is made. Aben says he is glad about the invitation, because it lets him explain what Discriminatie.nl can mean for people. In this clip, that explanation no longer comes up.

Background

Sadhoe's figures on social housing largely match those of the municipality. The Utrecht Monitor, with data from the municipality of Utrecht, cites an average waiting time of 11.7 years and an average success rate of 2.8 percent. According to DUIC, almost 2,900 social rental homes were allocated in 2025, the highest number in years. Even so, the success rate fell from 3.1 to 2.8 percent. For home seekers under 23, that chance is only 0.5 percent, according to DUIC.

On vacancy, the municipality of Utrecht writes that around 1,500 homes have been empty for a long time. For that reason, the municipality wants to require owners to report vacancy after six months, under penalty of a fine. We were not able to confirm the 143,000 square metres of office space or the 80,000 square metres of withheld plots. The province of Utrecht did previously write that in easily accessible locations, such as in the municipality of Utrecht, there is hardly any office vacancy.

Aben's figure does not stand alone either. According to Discriminatie.nl, 25,356 reports came in across the Netherlands in 2025, partly because of many reports about the same high-profile incidents. CBS research shows that one in ten people experience discrimination. According to the police, only 3 percent of them report it to the police and 1 percent to another official reporting body. The total Aben mentions differs from the national number. The video does not say which area his figures cover exactly.

You can watch the full video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/h9f8oCRA48c.

Bronnen

• Omroep AfroNet op YouTube: de video
• Utrecht Monitor, Huurwoningmarkt (gemeente Utrecht)
• DUIC, Slaagkans jongeren op sociale huurwoning 0,5 procent, wachttijd 12 jaar
• Gemeente Utrecht, Utrecht gaat leegstand woningen aanpakken
• ANP via Welingelichte Kringen, Veel leegstaande kantoren Utrecht geschikt gemaakt voor bewoning
• Discriminatie.nl, Meldingen discriminatie stijgen opnieuw in 2025
• Politie, Meldingen discriminatie stijgen opnieuw in 2025