D66 Diemen for internationals

The housing shortage in Diemen is enormous. This is putting people’s lives on hold. They can’t live together, postpone having children, or are stuck in overly large homes. And in the worst-case scenario, people become homeless.

D66 believes that everyone has the right to suitable housing. In the past 10 years, 3,000 homes have been built in Diemen, but that’s far from enough. A major housing offensive is needed. That’s why we want to build 2,000 homes in the next 4 years, especially in Holland Park.

And those homes must be affordable. Like many other parties, we believe that more social housing should be built. But we also want more housing for middle-income earners. For police officers, nurses, construction workers, and teachers. That is why we also want mid-range rental and affordable homes to be built.

We ensure that the majority of our rental properties go to residents in Diemen. This way, people who are rooted in Diemen can continue to live there. D66 has ensured that 50% of available social housing units are offered as a priority to Diemen residents. We will maintain this policy.

And of course, we are also looking at existing housing. We are making it easier to move on and encouraging shared housing, such as landlord rentals or living together with friends. We are also introducing a vacancy tax, so that owners of properties that remain vacant for unnecessarily extended periods can be fined.

This way, we are giving residents a home in Diemen again.

D66 is the leading party in education. Good education is the most important prerequisite for true equality of opportunity. That’s why we want all children in Diemen to have access to good schools in Diemen.

Diemen has grown. We now have almost 35,000 residents, and we continue to grow. A secondary school is essential in such a large municipality. This way, children who wish to attend can attend school nearby, and there’s more connection among the young people of Diemen.

Our preferred location for the school is next to the new Duran swimming pool. This location will be available in 2032 at the earliest. Therefore, we will continue to search for possible alternative locations in the meantime.

And of course, we won’t forget the existing primary schools in Diemen. We are investing in good school buildings, providing housing for teachers, and offering teachers the opportunity for further development, with a curriculum to combat discrimination and under-advising. We want children to have a rich school day, with swimming lessons and after-school classes in culture, digital skills, and music.

This way, every child gets the chance to develop.

Sports provide relaxation, health, and social interaction. They bring athletes, volunteers, and supporters together and create a sense of community in our municipality. D66 wants everyone in Diemen to be able to play sports in a way that suits them.

But Diemen is growing. Many sports clubs have waiting lists and lack space. D66 has strongly advocated for sports in Diemen in recent years. Thanks to our efforts, a new sports hall has been built, the sports park has been redesigned, and we are starting work on a new swimming pool and Duran sports center. But that’s not enough.

That’s why D66 wants to look ahead. At the location near the meadow triangle, between the Diemerbos and Penbos forests, we want to combine sports and nature. This will create space for
sports like hockey, football, and tennis, combined with new sports like paddle tennis. D66 also wants to permit a limited number of commercial sports facilities on business parks.

And finally, we want sports to be accessible to everyone. That’s why we want to increase sports activities for seniors in Diemen, help clubs combat discrimination, by providing a municipal counselor. We also want to support the establishment of a team for people with disabilities.

This way, Diemen will become a place where everyone can grow up fit and healthy.

The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time. We will have to make different choices to reduce emissions and combat climate change. D66 is ambitious, but realistic in this regard. We are committed to the climate goals, while also realizing that achieving them will take time. At the same time, we are optimistic: the energy transition also offers enormous opportunities, such as more comfortable homes, lower energy bills, and cleaner air.

D66 wants us to heat our homes sustainably. Therefore, we are launching a large-scale insulation initiative to help residents make their homes more sustainable. We are doing this by sharing information, encouraging joint purchasing, and providing financing. We want to see construction of Diemen’s first district heating network begin before 2030.

We also want to generate our electricity sustainably. This can be achieved with wind and solar energy. We can generate solar energy on roofs and along highways. Wind turbines can generate a significant amount of electricity. That’s why D66 has endorsed the possibility of wind turbines on the edge of the Diemerbos forest. If an initiator comes forward and wants to install wind turbines here, we’ll be positive about it. However, important conditions must be met: it’s only permitted if it’s safe, if environmental impact is compensated, and if local residents aren’t affected. And we believe it’s important that Diemen residents can directly benefit from the wind energy revenues.

So, good for your wallet and the future of Diemen.

Art and culture make life more beautiful, bring people together, and add color to our society. That’s why D66 wants to further develop art and culture in Diemen.

A lot is already happening in Diemen. The World Festival, Duke Jazz Festival, and the Diemer Festijn are annual celebrations. EDOG puts on wonderful performances. The Diemer Harmonie and our choirs move and entertain with their music. The Diemen Historical Society connects the present with the past, and Kunstzin Diemen provides a platform for all Diemen artists. A small subsidy helps all these organizations. Less than 1% of the municipal budget supports the entire community life of Diemen. D66 wants to maintain this and allow organizations to continue to flourish in Diemen.

In 2026, Diemen will turn 800, and that’s not just a reason to celebrate, but also a unique opportunity! As far as D66 is concerned, this isn’t a one-off event. We want to explore how we can give initiatives organized for Diemen800 a permanent place on our events calendar. We aim to create 10 new events in Diemen this way.

This way, we’ll make Diemen even more vibrant.

Want to learn more about D66? Take a look at our five core values: