Until now, it has been illegal to build "sub-optimal" housing in the Netherlands. The so-called "VINEX–locations", which are currently being built on a large scale in the Netherlands, are constructed for "average" citizens (particularly families) in accordance with the official housing regulations. They generally do not meet the requirements of particular groups of homeless people.

On 8 June 2005 a meeting took place among civil servants from six ministries, national umbrella organisations of local authorities, mental health organisations, the national association of homeless people and expert organisations such as the Association of Housing Corporations (AEDES), the Foundation for Experimental Housing (Stuurgroep Experimenten Volkshuisvesting SEV) and the Dutch Federation of Shelters (Federatie Opvang). The meeting was originally planned to review progress in reception policies. However, given the peer review in Denmark in the same year, and particularly the skaeve huse approach, the focus of the meeting was shifted to alternative types of housing and support. The meeting discussed the possibility of building housing that is not or is only partly in accordance with existing legislation. This, by taking basic societal conceptions of "stability", "acceptable quality" and "societal acceptance" into account.

A related issue that was discussed was changing existing (officially informal, but in widespread public use) terminology used for people who refuse "normal" housing. It was accepted that the use of terminology such as hufterwoningen (bugger houses) and aso-containers (containers for anti-social people) is disrespectful to people with different (unusual) lifestyles. It therefore does nothing to broaden the societal basis for counteracting homelessness and the way homeless people are treated.

In 2007 the architects bureau StudioSchaeffer started to design in the Netherlands a new form of shelters for the homeless similar to the 'Skaeve Huse' in Denmark: small single-person houses, designed in projects of 5 to 15 houses. The houses are explicitly permanent and not temporary dwellings and thus long-lasting, high-quality material is used. The houses differ in terms of colour and provide for a good differentiation between individually and collectively used space.

Please view and download documents related to the Danish Peer Review here.