Massive changes to housing policy revealed to address waiting list crisis
The plans cover social housing and the private rental sector.
Almost 30,000 people in Northern Ireland are on a waiting list for social housing, in a crisis-stricken system.
But today, ambitious new plans have been unveiled, that will mean the Housing Executive will start building homes again for the first time in decades.
NIHE, which is responsible for 85,000 houses, will be given borrowing powers to update existing deteriorated stock and finance major new construction projects. That will reduce the body’s reliance on the public purse.
Minister Caral Ni Chuilin warned that the number of people sleeping on sofas and in hostels while awaiting a decent home is “out of control”.
Around 1,500 social homes have been constructed each year over the last seven years but that has not kept pace with demand.
The number of people with an acute need on the waiting list has risen by on average 1,000 a year.
PRIVATE RENTING
The Minister also said she is hoping to increase the period of notice a private landlord must give a tenant before eviction from four weeks, to six months.
"We're literally calling time on bad landlords and rogue letting agents," she told Downtown Cool FM news.
"That's really important, because half of people and families with children are now living in the private rental sector. That's not because it's their first choice, but because it's their only option."
INTIMIDATION POINTS
Intimidation points, meaning fast-tracked applications for those in immediate threat where they currently live, has long been a topic of controversy.
Today, Minister NiChuilin confirmed that avenue will remain open for the benefit of victims, but with significant new mitigations in place to prevent anyone dishonestly using this mechanism to leap-frog others in the queue.
The new process will include PSNI liaison and robust verification of any claims made by an independent adjudicator.
The plans also include reintroducing ‘ring-fencing’, in order to help areas with chronic need first, for example, North Belfast, West Belfast and Londonderry.
New ways to help people into home ownership, continuing to support shared ownership schemes such as Co-Ownership, and prioritising action to improve the response to homelessness will also be explored in the new and ambitious shake-up plans.