Urgent Need to Address Social Housing Shortage
Urgent action is required to address the shortage of social housing in Northern Ireland, according to the Chairman of Stormont's Communities Committee.
The Executive had committed to investing £115 million in new social housing in 2026. However, recent figures released earlier this week indicate that only £3 million is currently allocated in the draft budget to tackle this issue.
Concerns Over Progress on Housing Initiatives
Colm Gildernew expressed concerns that the Department for Communities (DfC) has not advanced initiatives aimed at increasing the supply of social housing.
On Thursday, John Greer from the DfC informed the committee that the minister is confronted with some "difficult decisions."
"They are spending £40m a year now on temporary accommodation in terms of homelessness," Gildernew told Sunday Politics.
"There was an announcement last year that 600 homes were going to be purchased to reduce that cost and not a single one of them homes has been bought.
That is something that the department needs to press with urgency."
Exploring Public Sector Estate for Housing Solutions
The permanent secretary has indicated that the minister is preparing a paper for the Executive regarding potential uses of the public sector estate, a proposal Gildernew supports.
Currently, approximately 50,000 households in Northern Ireland are on social housing waiting lists, according to the latest official data.
Social housing in Northern Ireland is predominantly constructed by not-for-profit housing associations, which receive funding from the Department for Communities.
Funding Adjustments and Housing Targets
In October, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced plans to reduce funding for housing associations to build new social housing.
Subsequently, in January, he stated that his department has set a target to commence construction on 1,750 houses this year.
This target remains below the commitment outlined in Stormont's Programme for Government, which pledged to initiate work on at least 5,850 new social homes by 2027.
Challenges Ahead for the Department for Communities
"It's absolutely unquestionable that there's a very challenging situation facing the DfC along with all other departments right across the Executive," Gildernew said.
"What we were being told at committee on Thursday is a cause for concern and I think needs a particular focus in terms of what we do because housing and homelessness is a huge challenge for us here."
