The shortage of housing in the Netherlands has increased slightly to 401,000 this year, according to research bureau ABF, which carries out the calculations on behalf of the government.

The figure is based on the number of households, or single people, who want to find a place to live on their own but cannot do so. It therefore includes young adults living with their parents and families living temporarily in holiday rental accommodation.

The current total is equivalent to 4.9% of the housing stock, but the government aims to have a deficit of no more than 2%. To reach that figure, some 232,000 new homes would need to be built this year.

Housing minister Mona Keijzer said in a reaction to the figures that the government plans to build 100,000 new homes a year and that she will soon start meeting industry experts to “get everyone involved” in the process.

Some two-thirds of the new homes will be classified as “affordable” and aimed at low and middle-income households earning no more than €66,000 a year.

Meanwhile, the Telegraaf reported on Friday that the impact of measures to bring more property under rent controls is now visible, as landlords are selling smaller rental homes when they become vacant.

In Den Bosch there are just two properties listed on the Funda and Pararius rental housing websites which fall into the “affordable” price range of under €1158, while in Utrecht there is just one, the paper said.

In Amsterdam two properties are being advertised, one of which is just 30 square metres in size and costs €1,108.