OCDE - Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026 - Países Bajos de 2026

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DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: THE NETHERLANDS © OECD 2026

Summary of key data and information Summary of key data and information Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1) In official statistics, the Netherlands defines people experiencing homelessness in accordance with the definition of Wolf et al. (2002) which includes: people living on the street or other public space, without a permanent place of residence; persons who make short-term use of night care or accessible care; and persons without permanent residence, who sleep with family or friends on a non-structural basis and do not know where they will sleep the next night. Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3) 33 000 individuals, representing 0.18% of the total population (2024) 31% are women, 61% are men Point-in-time count, based on the Homelessness in the Netherlands Study ETHOS Light groups included Included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) • ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) • ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Not included: • ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4) There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in the Netherlands.

Homelessness Strategy (Table 5) • National Homelessness Strategy: The Dutch National Action Plan on Homelessness: Housing First

Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4) There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in the Netherlands.

Homelessness Strategy (Table 5) • National Homelessness Strategy: The Dutch National Action Plan on Homelessness: Housing First • Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6) • Homeless in the Netherlands Study: Estimation of people experiencing homelessness through the capture-recapture statistical method using administrative data (Table 6.1). • ETHOS Light Count: Regional point-in-time research including all ETHOS categories (Table 6.2).

Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: The Netherlands2  DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: THE NETHERLANDS © OECD 2026

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness Statistical definition Homelessness The Netherlands defines homeless people in accordance with the definition of Wolf et al. (2002) which includes: • people living on the street or other public space, without a permanent place of residence; • persons who make short-term use of night care or accessible care; and • persons without permanent residence, who sleep with family or friends on a non-structural basis and do not know where they will sleep the next night. Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology Year Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals) % of total population ETHOS Light 1 People living rough ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends

accommodation for the homeless ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends 2016 30 500 0.18% NA NA NA NA NA NA 2023 30 600 0.17% Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Not included Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified 2024 33 000 0.18% Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Not included Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Metadata: • Type of count: Point-in-time • Data are comparable across years: Yes

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: No o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: No ‒ Refugees: No ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No Note: Data refer to people between the age of 18 and 65 years old. The headline estimate was estimated using the capture-recapture method and was therefore not directly observed. Although ETHOS 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 are included in the headline estimate, each ETHOS category is only partially counted.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Statistics Netherlands (CBS) (2024), Homelessness in the Netherlands Study.

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2025

counted.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Statistics Netherlands (CBS) (2024), Homelessness in the Netherlands Study.

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2025 Single adults Men Women Youth (aged 0-18) Youth (aged 18-27)

Older people (aged 60-69)

Older people (aged 70 and over) Families with children (# of households) Headline estimate of homelessness NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 3

DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: THE NETHERLANDS © OECD 2026

As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness(1) 54% 61% 31% 14% 19% 6% 1% 9% ETHOS Light 1: People living rough NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Metadata: • Type of count: Point-in-time

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: Yes o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: Yes

staying with family/friends NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Metadata: • Type of count: Point-in-time

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: Yes o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: Yes ‒ Refugees: Yes ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: Yes Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive. 1. These percentages are based on several regional ETHOS-light counts. As more reserach is done, these percentages might change slightly.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Resultaten ETHOS telling daken thuisloosheid - Kansfonds.

Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness Legal framework Law that governs data collection on homelessness None. Legal obligations None. Table 5. Homelessness strategy Homelessness strategies in place National Homelessness Strategy The Dutch National Action Plan on Homelessness: Housing First Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist Yes. Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness 6.1. Homeless in the Netherlands Study Description Using the capture-recapture method, three registers are used to estimate the total number of people experiencing homelessness in the Netherlands:

1. People at reception addresses: A list compiled by the CBS of persons who, according to the personal records database, stay at day and night shelters

2. WWB: A list available in the CBS of persons who were on the social assistance register as persons without a permanent place of residence

3. LADIS: A selection of people experiencing homelessness from the National Alcohol and Drug Information System.

Since 2020, a selection of people experiencing homelessness who wer e known to one of three probation organisations in the Netherlands has been

used instead of the LADIS: (1) Probation Netherlands (RN); (2) Stichting Verslavingsreclassering GGZ (SVG); and (3) Salvation Army Youth Protection4  DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: THE NETHERLANDS © OECD 2026

and Probation Foundation. The data are comparable despite the change in methodology in 2020. The reference date is always the first of January of the year in question. Type of count generated Point-in-time Methods • Capture-recapture • Administrative data Lead authority(ies) • Statistics Netherlands (CBS) • Ministry of health, welfare and sports Source(s) of information Administrative data is used to perform the capture-recapture method Scope National level Depth of data • Key demographic characteristics Frequency Annual ETHOS Light groups included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) • ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) • ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing)

Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “in cluded” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.

Notes and sources Homeless in the Netherlands (cbs.nl) 30.6 thousand homeless people at the start of 2023 (cbs.nl) StatLine - Daklozen 18 tot 65 jaar; persoonskenmerken, 1 januari (cbs.nl)

6.2. ETHOS Light Count Description Regional point-in-time research based on the observations by a large variety of professionals. The research includes all ETHOS categories.

StatLine - Daklozen 18 tot 65 jaar; persoonskenmerken, 1 januari (cbs.nl)

6.2. ETHOS Light Count Description Regional point-in-time research based on the observations by a large variety of professionals. The research includes all ETHOS categories.

Type of count generated Point-in-time Methods Point-in-time count Lead authority(ies) Hogeschool Utrecht Source(s) of information Observations by a large variety of professionals Scope Regional level Depth of data Wide range of information: Wide range of characteristics (such as gender, age, nationality, legal status, household, family composition, sources of income, health, duration of homelessness, postal address) Frequency The count is executed yearly in different regions. The goal is to have a regional count in covering all municipalities roughly every four years.

ETHOS Light groups included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) • ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions • ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) • ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing)

Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “in cluded” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.

Notes and sources This research project covers all ages and all legal statuses. 5

DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: THE NETHERLANDS © OECD 2026

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing

Notes and sources This research project covers all ages and all legal statuses. 5

DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: THE NETHERLANDS © OECD 2026

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housingdatabase.html.

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