Northern Ireland housing bodies call on new government to make housing priority in PfG

The letter comes shortly after the Northern Ireland Executive got back up and running following a Democratic Unionist Party-backed deal to restore power-sharing in the country. 

Power-sharing ceased in February 2022 after former DUP first minister Paul Givan resigned in protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol.

But the DUP backed a trade agreement last week that will see no routine checks on British items sold to customers in Northern Ireland. 

In their letter after power-sharing was restored, the housing bodies congratulated Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly on their appointments, but said they are “gravely concerned at the housing crisis which we are currently facing”. 

“Housing is one of the most important building blocks of a sustainable society with direct links to outcomes in health and well-being, education and employment. 

“Yet too often housing has been overlooked when Programme for Government and funding priorities are being set,” the organisations said.

The bodies argued that investing in housing can lead to cost savings elsewhere. 

They said: “As we have stated before, it is essential that housing is included as a specific, stand-alone outcome with relevant indicators within the PfG.

“The housing and homelessness sectors believe such an outcome would drive the collaborative work necessary to tackle poor housing and rising levels of homelessness, and ensure these issues are prioritised by the executive.”

The outcome would be that “every household has access to a good-quality, affordable and sustainable home that is appropriate for its needs”, they said. 

CIH Northern Ireland and Homeless Connect recently warned of the “devastating” impact the potential budget cuts to the Department for Communities (DfC) will have on the country’s housing crisis.

It came as the country’s housing waiting list hit an all-time high, with 45,615 households on the list and 4,469 households in temporary accommodation. 

The bodies wrote: “That is a retrograde step, and we need to see a significant, multi-year budget for new housing to begin to make an impact on the housing waiting list.”

The letter also highlights concerns around retrofitting and the Supporting People programme. 

“We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you at an early stage of this new NI Executive, as we begin to work together in this new era of what we all hope will be effective devolved government,” it said. 

The cohort also welcomed the recent appointment of Gordon Lyons as the minister for communities. They said they would like to work closely with him to “make significant strides toward ensuring every individual and family in Northern Ireland has access to safe and affordable housing, and services that meet their needs”.

Justin Cartwright, national director for Northern Ireland at the CIH, said: “We congratulate minister Lyons on their new role and look forward to working together to address the critical issues in housing. 

“Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we prioritise housing as a fundamental aspect of our government’s agenda.”

Seamus Leheny, chief executive of NIFHA, said: “We know from our work in the sector that housing is fundamental, and that investing in housing can actually lead to cost savings in other areas. 

“That is why we are asking the first and deputy first minister to show their commitment to tackling the housing crisis in the new Programme for Government.”

Nicola McCrudden, chief executive of Homeless Connect, said: “In the last decade, the number of households on the social housing waiting list who are homeless has more than doubled. 

“We have strategies to end homelessness, to support people experiencing homelessness and to increase housing supply, but they seriously lack the resources required for implementation.

“We welcome the incoming minister who will not be unfamiliar with any of these issues.

“However, minister Lyons will require commitment from right across the executive to ensure that responding to homelessness is given high priority.”

Kate McCauley, chief executive of Housing Rights, said the organisation looks forward to working with government to ensure housing issues are prioritised.

The Northern Ireland Executive has been contacted for a response.