Nearly 60,000 people are registered as living in holiday parks in the Netherlands, even though permanent residency is not allowed.

New figures from national statistics agency CBS show the number has slightly increased since the start of the year, and the true total is likely far higher. Many residents avoid registration out of fear of being fined, and earlier government research suggests the real number could be two to 2.5 times higher.

Caretaker housing minister Mona Keijzer wants to make it legal for people to live in holiday parks for the next ten years, as a temporary solution to the housing crisis.

Under the current rules, councils are free to decide whether, and for how long, someone may live in a holiday home, and the period is often 11 months a year.

Under Keijzer’s plan, only people who can prove they’ve been living in their holiday home since 16 May 2024 would qualify. Some local councils already ignore the rules, which Keijzer said in December was her preferred approach.

But many councils and provinces are firmly against the idea. The Dutch local government association VNG said the impact on the housing shortage would be minimal and warned the plan would create false hope.

It also criticised the extra workload for officials in smaller towns and argued the focus should be on building proper homes. “Holiday parks are often remote and hard to reach for emergency services,” the VNG told broadcaster NOS.

In Overijssel, both the province and local councils have raised concerns about losing control over zoning decisions. They also fear the plan will harm the parks’ recreational function, which is important for local businesses.

“Holiday parks do a lot to keep rural services going and provide a huge number of jobs,” provincial executive Liesbeth Grijsen told RTV Oost.