Abstract:
Funding for architectural heritage preservation is a challenge for many countries. The protection and maintenance of architectural monuments was and is expensive. One of the most compelling examples of successful policies is that of the Netherlands. The government's policy of funding architectural heritage has a history of almost a century and a half. Currently, there are three types of financing schemes: (1) the subsidy scheme to encourage redevelopment of monuments; (2) the subsidy scheme for the conservation of monuments; (3) loans from the National Restoration Fund.
It is important to emphasize that subsidies are future oriented. Significant non-refundable funds are provided by the government for feasibility studies, conducted by experts, of possible sustainable use of monuments and buildings with a cultural and historical value. This approach prevents monuments for which it is difficult to find a new function from being empty or not in use for a long period of time.