On Wednesday, March 19, the Housing Lab will be launched during the symposium “Investeren in Volkhuisvesting” (Dutch spoken), organized by the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (Centraal Planbureau). The Housing Lab is an initiative by Vrije Universiteit researchers Hans Koster and Jan Rouwendal.
Bundling Research
Hans Koster, Professor of Urban Economics and Real Estate at the Department of Spatial Economics, about the motivation behind establishing the Housing Lab: ‘We noticed that a lot of research is being conducted on the Dutch housing market, but that researchers are often not well aware of each other’s work. The Housing Lab provides a way to bundle research, and to provide information on ongoing research in the field. Additionally, it is important to share this knowledge with relevant parties, such as ministries, policymakers, and research institutes, who can benefit from these insights.’
The upcoming year will be the Housing Lab’s startup phase. ‘We want to bring together everyone involved in the housing market and economy. The symposium is a great starting point for this – we will discuss the construction of social housing. In the future, we hope to organize a symposium on the housing market every year in collaboration with one of our knowledge partners,’ Koster adds.
Sharing Knowledge
Jan Rouwendal, Professor of Real Estate Economics in the Department of Spatial Economics, adds: ‘We initiated the Housing Lab because we believe there is a need for a central point where knowledge about the housing market is easily accessible to everyone who needs it. On the Housing Lab’s website, you should be able to see what is known, and whom to contact for more background information on specific topics. Through the Housing Lab, policymakers and researchers can connect, knowledge is shared, which can lead to new insights.’
Register for the symposium ‘Investeren in Volkshuisvesting’ on 19 March (Dutch spoken)
Webpage Hans Koster
Webpage Jan Rouwendal