Minority Groups

In 2017, Housing Rights sought out to enhance the housing advice service provided to black and ethnic minority (BME) communities in Northern Ireland through a peer project with the support of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.  The Housing Champions project long-term goals are to equip BME communities with the information they need to make informed and appropriate housing decisions, and know how to access better quality housing.

On the 20th June 2017, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland published their “Statement on Key Inequalities in Housing and Communities in Northern Ireland”. The Statement illustrates that the provision of housing in NI faces new, existing and persistent challenges.

A recent report from the Work and Pensions Committee has found the prison rehabilitation system “in desperate need of reform”.  The report calls for improvements to be made to the, currently fragmented, support offered to people leaving prison, so that a transition into the community may be as smooth and positive as possible.  The report states that currently:

The Government has issued a new set of Immigration Regulations to commence on 1^st February 2017. The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 revoke and replace the 2006 Regulations.