Responsibility for housing policy and law is devolved to the NI Assembly. The Housing Division within the Department for Social Development has overall strategic responsibility for housing. The DSD Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA has set out her housing agenda . Priorities include more social housing, helping people onto the property ladder, mortgage rescue, mixed housing, sustainability and fuel poverty.

The NI Assembly’s Social Development Committee assists the Minister. It plays a scrutiny, policy development and consultation role with the DSD. It is also key to the consideration and development of legislation.

Housing law in Northern Ireland is different to that in Britain and the Republic of Ireland.  The way in which social housing is managed also differs. Councils are not involved in the allocation of housing.

Northern Ireland has one regional housing authority, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. It has responsibility for a wide range of areas including:

• homelessness
• improving housing conditions
• developing programmes to meet housing need, and
• promoting energy efficiency
• managing its housing stock

The Housing Executive operates a Common Selection Scheme, using a points based system, for the allocation of social housing along with over 40 Registered Housing Associations . These organisations also have responsibility for building new social housing.

In the private rented sector the main enforcement authorities are local councils. They received a lot of new powers under the Private Tenancies (NI) Order 2006. This introduced a system to target unfitness and disrepair through enforcement and rent control. A ‘Guide to the Private Tenancies (NI) Order 2006’ is available to order online.