In 2007 around 16% (113,000) of Northern Ireland’s housing was managed by the NI Housing Executive or registered housing associations. This number has been decreasing over the years. This is partly due to the impact of the House Sales Scheme which enables tenants to buy their homes and partly due to the low level of new social housing being built. According to some analysts there is a need for 2500 new social dwellings per year until 2011 to meet housing need. In 2007/08 the target for new build was set at 1500.

What is government doing to tackle the problem?
What does Housing Rights Service want to see happen?
Key social housing statistics

What is government doing to tackle the problem?

There are a number of initiatives being examined including the introduction of private developer contributions towards affordable housing and ensuring land is made available for social housing development. A number of recommendations around the supply of social housing is contained in a recent report into affordability . Around £205 million has also been pledged over a three year period to allow 5250 new social dwellings to be completed by 2011.

What would Housing Rights Service like to see happen?

We are not convinced that the government target for social housing completions is sufficient. Adequate investment in social housing must be a priority for the NI Assembly. We also support

• rating of empty homes and policies which bring more of them back into use
• promoting socially mixed, shared and inclusive housing and
• further restrictions to the house sales scheme

Key social housing statistics

• In 2009 Northern Ireland's social housing sector consisted of approximately 116,000 dwellings (16% of total stock).
• There are 38,120 households currently on the waiting list for social housing. This is a slight decrease from the previous year (2%).
• The number of applicants considered to be in housing stress (assessed as having 30 points or more under the Common Selection Scheme) has decreased slightly from 19,801 in 2009 to 19716 at 31 March 2010.