De Noorderkempen

What De Noorderkempen does

De Noorderkempen (legally: Woonmaatschappij De Noorderkempen bv) is a Flemish woonmaatschappij — a government-licensed, non-profit social housing company — headquartered in Merksplas, Belgium. It provides affordable rental housing to income-qualified residents across up to ten municipalities in the Noorderkempen region (Arendonk, Beerse, Hoogstraten, Merksplas, Ravels, Rijkevorsel, and adjacent areas), prioritizing elderly residents (65+), persons with disabilities, and households at risk of homelessness under a four-pillar allocation system administered through the Flemish Centraal Inschrijvingsregister (CIR) digital platform. Beyond rental housing, the company offers social purchase properties and 99-year erfpacht (ground lease) arrangements, notably at the Merksplas-Kolonie site, and a rental-and-payment-guarantee service that incentivizes private property owners to lease their units for social housing subletting.

The organization's core technology stack is modest and operationally focused rather than product-led: it runs on Paddle CMS for its public website (denoorderkempen.be), uses Matomo analytics for traffic measurement, integrates with the Flemish-government-operated CIR for tenant registration and dossier management, and operates an online defect-reporting form plus a dedicated 't Klooster mobile application for cohousing residents to manage shared utility costs. GDPR and CCPA-equivalent privacy controls are maintained through Cookiebot. In March 2025, De Noorderkempen launched the 't Klooster cohousing project in Arendonk — a renovated heritage monastery delivering 26 rental units with shared community spaces, supported by partnerships with PSC Antwerpen for community-building guidance.

De Noorderkempen operates under a hybrid revenue model combining recurring income-based social rents (calculated via a regulated formula factoring tenant income, family size, property quality, and energy costs), one-time payments from social property sales, long-cycle ground-lease (erfpacht) payments over 99-year horizons, and Flemish government subsidies including the huurpremie (rental premium) for long-waitlist tenants. The company is governed by a Board of Directors with two representatives from each constituent municipality and is led by Directeur Christophe Dekoninck; the organization employs 18 staff across Team Wonen, Team Patrimonium (Onderhoud & Herstellingen and Projecten), Team Operationeel Beheer, and a management team. Distribution is primarily direct through the centralized CIR registration system and municipal outreach channels.

Name

De Noorderkempen

Legal name

Woonmaatschappij De Noorderkempen bv

Website

https://denoorderkempen.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

De Noorderkempen is a Flemish non-profit social housing company (woonmaatschappij) providing income-based rental housing, social purchase properties, 99-year ground leases, and cohousing to low-income residents across up to ten municipalities in the Noorderkempen region of Belgium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Housing Services

NAICS

Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111), Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Lessors Of Real Property, Nec (6519)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAJAFAD

Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8)

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Residential Property Management

SECONDARYBPAGALAC

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Enterprises & Impact Organizations

Keywords

• Social housing services
• Affordable rental housing
• Cohousing projects
• Rental guarantees
• Property maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Merksplas

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Social Housing Rent: Income-based rental pricing for social housing units. Rent calculated using formula: income/54 - family discount - property discount + rental charges + energy correction. For own properties, rent depends on tenant income, family size, and property quality. For subleased private properties, a fixed rent is charged.
2. Erfpacht (Ground Lease): 99-year lease rights for land and property. Applied at Merksplas-Kolonie site. After 99 years, property returns to De Noorderkempen.
3. Social Purchase Rights: Sale of social building plots and purchase properties to eligible candidates meeting income and residency criteria

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Woonmaatschappij De Noorderkempen bv is a Flemish social housing company that provides affordable rental housing units across 5-10 municipalities in the Noorderkempen region of Belgium. The company manages social rental housing (sociale huurwoningen), social purchase properties (sociale koopwoningen), ground lease (erfpacht) arrangements, and a cohousing project called 't Klooster with 26 units. It also provides rental and payment guarantee services for private property owners and offers repairs and maintenance support to tenants.

Product overview

De Noorderkempen operates as a social housing company (woonmaatschappij) offering a portfolio of affordable housing services in the Flemish region. Core offerings include social rental housing (sociale huurwoningen) and social ownership options (sociale koopwoningen and erfpacht/ground lease). The company manages approximately 26 cohousing units at 't Klooster in Arendonk. Supporting services include the Centraal Inschrijvingsregister (CIR) for applicant registration, rental and payment guarantees for private property owners, repair and maintenance services for tenants, and rental premium subsidies. The organization serves municipalities including Arendonk, Hoogstraten, Merksplas, Ravels, and Rijkevorsel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Social Rental Housing (Sociale Huurwoningen) Government-regulated rental housing units provided at subsidized, income-based rents to qualifying low-income individuals, families, seniors, and people with disabilities in the Noorderkempen region of Belgium. Tenants benefit from long-term 9-year lease security.
• Social Purchase Properties (Sociale Koopwoningen) Subsidized housing units offered for purchase to qualifying low-income households in the Noorderkempen region, providing affordable homeownership opportunities outside the rental market.
• Ground Lease / Erfpacht Long-term ground lease arrangements that allow qualifying individuals and families to occupy housing units while paying lease fees for the land, providing an alternative pathway to affordable housing.
• 't Klooster Cohousing A cohousing community project comprising 26 units that combines private living spaces with shared community facilities, fostering social interaction among residents in the Noorderkempen region.
• Rental and Payment Guarantee (Verhuur- en Betaalgarantie) A service for private property owners that guarantees rental income and payment for properties leased to the social housing company, reducing landlord risk and administrative burden.
• Repairs and Maintenance (Herstellingen en Onderhoud) Maintenance and repair services for social housing properties, ensuring ongoing quality, safety, and habitability of the housing stock for tenants.
• Rental Premium Subsidy Service (Huurpremie) Assistance for tenants in accessing the Flemish government rental premium subsidy (huurpremie), which provides additional financial support to qualifying social housing tenants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rent never exceeds private market rates for comparable properties
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supportive.

• Gemeente ArendonkcoreOthersMunicipal partner in coverage area. Provides local housing allocation support and community outreach. Board representative Anja Blockx and Erwin Cools represent Arendonk on De Noorderkempen's Board.
• Gemeente HoogstratencoreOthersMunicipal partner providing local housing coordination. Board representatives Ann Fockaert and Herman Snoeys serve on Board of Directors.
• Gemeente MerksplascoreOthersHost municipality for De Noorderkempen headquarters. Board representatives Monique Quirynen (Vice-chair) and Jan Quirijnen serve on Board.
• Gemeente RavelscoreOthersMunicipal partner in coverage area. Board representatives Mieke Van Ostaeyen and Hans Heylen (Chair) serve on Board.
• Gemeente RijkevorselcoreOthersMunicipal partner providing local housing services. Board representatives Bert Vangenechten and Wim De Visscher serve on Board.
• Initia VlaanderenminorOthersListed partner organization for integration and housing services in Flanders.
• PSC AntwerpensupportiveOthersProvides guidance to residents of 't Klooster cohousing project on community building and conflict resolution.
• Het PandschapsupportiveOthersOrganization that helps property owners renovate their properties. Referenced for owners considering leasing to De Noorderkempen.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Woonbedrijf: Large Dutch social housing corporation (woningcorporatie) managing tens of thousands of units. While operating under Dutch rather than Flemish regulations, it is the closest large-scale structural analog in terms of social rental mandate and municipal accountability.
• Stadlander: Dutch social housing corporation serving the West-Brabant region with a comparable multi-municipality mandate for affordable rental housing, allocation via central registration, and a regulated income-based rent model.
• Ymere: Major Dutch social housing corporation with a broad portfolio of affordable rental homes across multiple municipalities. Demonstrates a larger-scale operating model and digital tenant services similar to De Noorderkempen's CIR and defect reporting systems.

Direct peers

• Woonmaatschappij Kemp & Peel: Flemish woonmaatschappij operating in the Kempen region (adjacent to Noorderkempen), offering directly comparable social rental housing, erfpacht, and municipal partnership models under identical Flemish housing regulations.
• Woonpunt Mechelen: Flemish social housing company (woonmaatschappij) operating in the Mechelen region, providing rental and social housing services under the same Flemish regulatory framework and CIR allocation system as De Noorderkempen.
• Woonmaatschappij Voorkempen: Flemish social housing company serving the Voorkempen region, with comparable portfolio of social rental homes, similar multi-municipality coverage model, and use of the CIR allocation platform.
• Wonenberg: Flemish woonmaatschappij providing affordable rental housing under the same Flemish government regulatory regime, with overlapping customer segments (low-income individuals, elderly, persons with disabilities) and CIR-based allocation process.

Others

• Het Pandschap: Flemish organization that supports private property owners in renovating and leasing properties — already referenced as a partner by De Noorderkempen. Adjacent ecosystem participant in the social housing supply chain rather than a direct competitor.
• Initia Vlaanderen: Flemish housing and integration organization listed as a partner of De Noorderkempen. Plays an enabling role in the social housing ecosystem for vulnerable target groups rather than directly competing for the same rental units.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/denoorderkempen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PaddleBE
• Facebookfacebook.com/denoorderkempen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2846301
• Instagraminstagram.com/denoorderkempen

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about De Noorderkempen