HOUSING STRATEGY
COMMUNITIES MINISTER GORDON LYONS LAUNCHED A HOUSING SUPPLY STRATEGY, TARGETING DELIVERY OF AT LEAST 100,000 HOMES OF WHICH A THIRD WILL BE SOCIAL HOUSING, ON DECEMBER 9... Cross-departmental approach announced to tackle housing issues
Representatives from the construction and public housing sectors have welcomed publication of a Housing Supply Strategy by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons. Published on December 9, it lays out a cross- departmental plan to tackle housing issues by delivering at least 100,000 homes of which a third will be social housing and encompassing wider areas such as energy efficiency. Minister Lyons said: “The housing issues we face are significant, and the current situation is not sustainable. For too long, there has been no joined-up, cross- departmental approach to housing supply. That ends now.
L-R: Justin Cartwright, Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland, Seamus Leheny, Northern Ireland Federation of Housing As- sociation, Grainia Long, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Minister Gordon Lyons, Nicola McCrudden, Homeless Connect, and Mark Spence, Construction Employers Federation.
Grainia Long, Chief Executive of the NI Housing Executive, said, “Having ringfenced prevention funding will help stem the homelessness tide before it washes up to the doors of homeless service providers - or our own offices - where people come for help and support every day. “It is also a great boost to be able to offer a level of service
we need when this process is complete.” Mark Spence, Chief Executive of the Construction Employers Federation, said, “Against a backdrop of a 60–year low of housing completions in 2023, it is critical that the NI Executive takes urgent steps to deal with our housing crisis and the barriers to homebuilding. “It is vital that the
“I am pleased to have the support of Executive colleagues to work together in new and innovative ways to deliver the supply of good quality, affordable and sustainable homes that we need in Northern Ireland. “My ambition is to create a housing system that can deliver at least 100,000 homes - and more if needed. One third of these will be social homes, alongside an increased supply of intermediate homes delivered throughout the strategy lifetime. “A safe, warm and affordable home is the foundation of so many things in life and is linked to a broad range of positive health, education and economic outcomes. In addressing this we are seeking to change people’s lives for the better.” Organisations endorsing the Strategy include Chartered Institute of Housing NI, Homeless Connect, Construction Employers Federation, NI Housing Executive and NI Federation of Housing Association. Welcoming publication of the Strategy,
Executive now puts its full weight behind the Strategy. In particular this must mean sustainably addressing the decades of underfunding in our water and wastewater system which is holding up housing and
“The housing issues we face are significant, and the current situation is not sustainable.”
protection to those organisations in the homeless sector delivering such vital services to our most vulnerable. “Decent, warm, safe
and dry homes - eco-efficient and future proofed – will be provided by the Housing Executive and our partners in the Housing Associations sector to those in housing stress and our organisation’s revitalisation is key to this process. “We can – and will – deliver new, low- carbon, fuel-efficient housing at the scale
economic development across Northern Ireland and is, as far as we are concerned, the greatest economic, social and environmental challenge of our time.” To view the Housing Supply Strategy,
go to: www.communities-ni.gov. uk/publications/housing-supply- strategy-2024-2039
78 | NI BUILDER
FOLLOW US ON:
www.nibuilder.co.uk
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online