Policy blog

MLA Bulletin December 2023

As we look to a new Assembly, Housing Rights has identified a set of key policy asks necessary to deliver good quality, affordable, and sustainable homes for people across Northern Ireland over this current mandate. These key policy asks are informed by the experience of people using our advice services.

The human cost of the Local Housing Allowance freeze

Our Policy Coordinator, Stephen Morrison, writes about how frozen Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates have impacted private renters across Northern Ireland. 

Housing Rights urges the UK Government to stop freezing thousands of people out of sustainable homes this winter, by urgently unfreezing LHA and realigning it back to minimum the 30th percentile of affordability.

Press release: Housing Rights celebrates 20 successful years of its CHAP project

Housing Rights recently marked the 20th anniversary of its successful Community Housing Advice Partnership at a celebratory event held at the Junction, Dungannon. The event also explored the need to introduce Housing Advice Quality Standards for Northern Ireland.

Report identifies housing cost as key contributor to cost of living crisis in Northern Ireland

Last week The Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP) published its report ‘The cost of living crisis across the devolved nations: How rising costs are hitting different places across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Housing Rights welcome this report which highlights the scale of the crisis in Northern Ireland, casting a much-needed light on the struggles of people coping with the financial pressures of what is a generational cost of living crisis.