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

Full details of what we believe is needed to address the problem of a lack of social housing are available for download.

Key social housing statistics

• There are 36,000 households currently on the waiting list for social housing. Almost 20,000 are in urgent housing need.
• The Housing Executive considers that 2500 new social dwellings should be constructed each year.
• In 2007/08 1595 new social housing starts were achieved (NI Federation of Housing Associations)
• Since the establishment of the house sales scheme in 1979 the Housing Executive has sold over 116,000 dwellings.  This has had a considerable impact on the overall social housing stock.