North Coast house prices ‘driving locals out’, warns MLA
There are fears about the impact on local services and schools
A local MLA is warning house prices on the North Coast are leaving some locals with no option but to move.
Claire Sugden says costs are surging in places like Portstewart and Portrush because of factors including second homes and cash buyers from other parts of the UK and Ireland.
The latest figures, published by NISRA this week, show the average house on the Causeway Coast is now almost £190,000, which is around £20,000 more than the Northern Ireland average.
The East Londonderry MLA told Downtown/Cool FM, “Daily I hear stories from constituents telling me that they just can’t find accommodation whether it’s to buy or to rent and it’s an issue that we do need to look at”.
“This is about the impact on the community, the impact on services, schools, and the impact on people who want to live here full time and raise a family here”.
“We also need more houses on the North Coast; not least social housing and affordable housing for people who do want to purchase their own home but can’t afford to.”
Downtown/ Cool Fm spoke to some locals in the seaside town of Portrush.
One said, “I think in the future we might move full time, when the children get bigger. There aren’t enough good shops in the town and it’s more of a holiday destination I think.”
Another told us, “It’s changing, it used to be you’d have more ordinary people here who didn’t have as much money, but as time goes on it’s more like places like Brighton in England; prices are going to stay high”.
A Department for Communities spokesperson said, “The Minister has developed a Housing Supply Strategy which sets out a long term framework for collaborative action to increase housing supply, including how we can deliver homes of different types to meet a range of housing needs.”
“The Minister is currently considering options for progressing the Strategy in the continuing absence of an Executive an agreed budget.”