What happens next if you have been proven right as a candidate for social housing?

Questioner

My daughter has been registered as a home seeker with Woonnet Haaglanden since 2017. On March 17, she was offered a home that she accepted. However, the same day she received a message that it could not go ahead because she wrongly had the status of a mover. She was a starter because she does not leave behind an independent home. My daughter has appealed this to the Regional Complaints Committee for Housing Allocation in The Hague, because she is indeed a mover. She bears 50% co-parenthood for her 10-year-old son and according to the conditions she would then have been a mover through divorce. The complaints committee has ruled in my daughter's favor. So far, nothing wrong. But now, according to Woonnet Haaglanden, she simply has to wait her turn for a home. I disagree with that, because she would normally have had a suitable home by now. That is why it seems to me that she should now be the first candidate for a home. How does this work legally? Is my statement correct? There is also something else important going on. On July 1st, the status of a mover due to divorce will expire definitively and if she still does not have a home, she will become a regular starter again. That is not possible, is it? She now lives in a single room of 10 m2 and cannot give her son what he is entitled to.

Lawyer

I agree with you that it is not fair that your daughter should simply wait her turn again. She missed out on a home due to unlawful actions by the housing cooperative. However, the housing cooperative is not prepared to offer a solution for this. They will probably hide behind the fact that they are obliged to offer all homes via Woningnet for a fair distribution of homes. But they are authorised to offer up to 5% of the available homes to eligible candidates themselves. This is a circumstance that would be eligible if they wanted to. What remains is the possibility of going to court and claiming the offer of a home in court. I think that your daughter has a chance with that, but I cannot give you any certainty about that.

Questioner

Thank you for your quick reply. I think we can do something with this.