Niki Struving, a 21-year-old student in Amsterdam, sits under an umbrella next to a circus tent, in bitter winds and driving rain. She is braving icy weather to campaign for more affordable housing – a key topic in Dutch regional elections this week.
For a country known for its fiscal prudence, the Netherlands is suffering a surprising housing crisis. “In a couple of years I won’t be a student any more, but where will I go?” says Struving. “Back to my parents? I have a student debt of €30,000, so how would I buy?”
