Nearly all the 2,000 prefab dwellings bought by the government to help solve the housing crisis remain in storage, the Volkskrant said on Tuesday.

In total, 1,900 units are still waiting for a local authority to come forward. Housing minister Hugo de Jonge commissioned the units last year at a cost of €200 million.

One reason for the local authority reluctance is the size of the blocks, which are supplied in job lots of 48 units spread over three storeys. Local councils then have little flexibility to take local conditions into account, the paper said.

The 100 homes which have been placed so far are in Delft. One other local council, Leeuwarden, has ordered 200, of which 100 will be placed in the autumn. 

Talks are ongoing with others about using some of the units to house refugees.