Currently home to 7,000 residents, the town’s numbers will swell by just over 2,000 once the 25.5 hectare “Wunne mat der Wooltz” estate is completed.

Of the 870 new homes, 833 will be constructed by Luxembourg’s housing fund, 70% will be rented and 30% will be sold on a 99-year lease basis.

Outlining the project on Monday, housing minister Henri Kox (déi Gréng) said that the site would include a school, shops and offices. The overarching aim is to make Wiltz a hub for the north, along the lines of Ettelbruck and Diekirch. But, the project also aims to meet the acute demand for affordable housing in Luxembourg. According to Kox, there are some 3,000 people on the Housing Fund’s waiting list.

Construction is expected to start in 2022 for the first homes to be completed in 2024 and the entire project to end in 2030.

The government is financing the project to the tune of €286m, of which €126.5m will be for infrastructure and site preparation, while €159.5m will cover the cost of construction of the homes and school.