Municipalities say they are millions short of funding to shelter homeless people
Cities say national funding is failing to keep pace with growing demand for shelter, care and support.
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Municipalities warn that they are short of tens of millions of euros a year to shelter homeless people. Pressure on shelters, affordable housing and mental healthcare is growing, particularly in large cities.
Municipalities are calling attention to both temporary shelter and the structural approach to homelessness. According to a report on municipal bottlenecks, the issue is not only temporary beds, but also support, sheltered housing and places where people can move on to independent accommodation.
Amsterdam illustrates how great that pressure can be. In the Amsterdam-Amstelland region, the 2025 ETHOS count recorded 11,352 homeless or roofless adults and 1,718 children. The municipality says reports of nuisance caused by alcohol and drug use, as well as reports of confused behaviour, increased in 2026.
Amsterdam says it spends an additional €36.5 million a year on shelter and support. Nevertheless, the municipality is asking the central government for a further €18 million for additional places in sheltered accommodation. According to the city authorities, the problems are linked to a shortage of affordable housing, shelter and mental healthcare.
Nationwide, municipalities receive €440 million a year for tackling homelessness and providing social support, excluding indexation. Municipalities argue that this amount is not keeping pace sufficiently with costs and demand. In its National Action Plan on Homelessness, however, the central government agreed to put prevention and suitable housing at the centre.
The debate therefore concerns more than the funding of night shelters. More beds can ease acute problems, but without housing, care and support, the flow into longer-term accommodation remains limited. The precise scale of the national shortfall varies by municipality and was not fully substantiated in the available public sources. It is clear, however, that municipalities and the central government are placing different emphases: municipalities are asking for additional resources for day-to-day delivery, while national policy focuses mainly on structural prevention and housing.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Municipalities report financial pressure on shelter and support for homeless people.
- Amsterdam-Amstelland recorded 11,352 homeless adults and 1,718 homeless children in 2025.
- The central government provides €440 million a year for tackling homelessness and providing social support.
Left
Arguments The government should invest more structurally in housing, care and shelter, because under this approach homelessness is primarily a result of scarcity and inadequate social provision.
Values Security of livelihood, solidarity and access to care.
Consequences Higher public spending and an expansion of social housing, but potentially less pressure on emergency shelters and care in the longer term.
Centre
Arguments Municipalities and the central government should align funding more closely with numbers, regional differences and measurable results, with prevention and onward movement as shared objectives.
Values Practical feasibility, efficiency and institutional responsibility.
Consequences A revised allocation model and clear agreements on who bears which costs.
Right
Arguments Funding should be linked to local policy, enforcement and rapid onward movement; additional money without conditions can perpetuate problems.
Values Responsibility, order and efficiency.
Consequences Greater emphasis on participation, supervision and targeted shelter, with the risk that people without stable accommodation receive less help.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures and amounts in the article can be traced to public municipal and parliamentary sources. The national claim about a shortfall of tens of millions has been cautiously attributed to the available reporting.
- confirmed In Amsterdam-Amstelland, 11,352 adults and 1,718 children were counted as homeless or roofless. — The municipality of Amsterdam refers to the 2025 ETHOS count. source
- confirmed Amsterdam spends an additional €36.5 million a year on shelter and support. — Mentioned by the municipality of Amsterdam. source
- confirmed The municipality is requesting €18 million for additional sheltered accommodation. — Mentioned by the municipality of Amsterdam. source
- confirmed Municipalities receive €440 million a year for tackling homelessness and providing social support. — The minister’s answer to parliamentary questions. source
Editor's note
The national scale of the shortfall is based on a report about signals from municipalities; the specific amounts and figures were checked against Amsterdam and the Lower House (Tweede Kamer).Sources
- Amsterdam gaat toenemende drugsoverlast steviger aanpakken — Gemeente Amsterdam
- Miljoenentekorten bij gemeenten voor opvang dakloze mensen — Nieuwskoerier.nl
- Antwoord op vragen over toenemende dakloosheid in Nederlandse steden — Tweede Kamer
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „dakloosheid opvang”
- De Telegraaf — „dakloosheid opvang”
- AD — „dakloosheid opvang”