Study by Erasmus University Rotterdam and Rijnmond: housing biggest concern for young people in local elections

On Wednesday 18 March, residents of Dutch municipalities will once again be able to vote for their local council. To investigate the voting behaviour and political preferences of young people, Slot and Mentzel asked eligible voters aged 18 to 35 about their motivation for voting or not voting, how confident they feel about making a choice in the elections, and whether they feel their voices are being heard by local politicians. 378 young people from the Rijnmond region completed the survey.

Three-quarters of those surveyed cite ‘housing’ as the most important issue. At the same time, 43 percent feel that local politics does not adequately represent their views on this very issue. Safety and healthcare follow, with 61 percent and 32 percent respectively. 

According to Mijke Slot and Nadia Mentzel, this result comes as no surprise. “Just like in the rest of the Netherlands, it is still difficult for young people to find a decent and affordable home,” Slot explains to Rijnmond. “In Rotterdam too, there are waiting lists for social housing and house prices are high.”

Mentzel: “This finding highlights that the housing market not only affects young people’s lives, but also influences their sense of political representation. It was a pleasure and a learning experience to have been able to carry out this research in collaboration with Rijnmond. The related publications, including on social media, clearly demonstrate how research has a direct impact beyond the university. The insights from our survey are used in journalistic reporting, enabling us to contribute to the public debate on housing and local politics, and helping media organisations such as Rijnmond to better connect with the lives and information needs of their young audience.”