Number of social houses being built 'won't put a dent in the waiting list' warns Derry Councillor

NIFHA’s Chief Executive, Seamus Leheny, gave a deputation to Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee on Tuesday, November 28.

He told the Council that there were over 45,000 applicants for social housing in Northern Ireland, leading to a ‘housing crisis’.

Mr Leheny said that 22% of requirements in the district were for sheltered or supported housing.

There are currently 1,500 units under construction, with over 750 waiting to start.

"We aren’t building nearly as many homes that we need to be due to the funding model,” he said. “Housing associations have a 50/50 split with Department for Communities, meaning they can’t borrow more than the amount the department funds.

“The Department of Communities budget was cut by 20%, so by March across Northern Ireland we will build 1,400 homes and we really need to build about 2,200 minimum a year to make a dent on the waiting list.

"But we’re holding up our side of the deal with work commenced, despite a reduced budget and record levels on inflation."

Housing association Apex’s Chief Executive, Sheena McCallion, highlighted a housing project in Skeoge, which was the ‘biggest development in Northern Ireland in many years’, starting in 2015 and leading to the development of over 1,000 new homes in the district.

She also said Apex had secured a pipeline of 1,350 homes within H2 on Buncrana Road, and they anticipate over 700 homes are to be delivered at newly-purchased lands at H1B.

Ballyarnett SDLP District Councillor Rory Farrell said there were currently 5,800 people locally on the waiting list for new homes, so there are concerns that demand wasn’t going to be met.

He said: "We are inundated about housing and this is a burning issue.

"We don’t think the number of houses over the next five years will put a dent in the waiting list, so what barriers are there to building more?"

Mr Leheny said housing models, like intermediate rent and affordable homes for sale, would help but housing associations cannot deliver them due to legislation from Stormont.

"We’d love to be able to do it, but legislatively we can’t. Ideally, we’ll get a Housing Bill for Northern Ireland.

“Scotland, England, Wales and The Republic of Ireland are all progressing with progressive initiatives and funding structures. We need that change and multi-year budgets."

Mrs McCallion said waiting lists were ‘unacceptable’, but Apex has sought ongoing development programmes in the district and throughout Northern Ireland.

She said: "Land availability and infrastructure are some of the key challenges and we rely on public funding.”

Ballyarnett Sinn Féin District Councillor Sandra Duffy concurred that legislative changes within Stormont was required to build enough homes for residents.

She said former Sinn Féin Minister for Communities, Deirdre Hargey, has ‘set out a really ambitious house building plan’ which ‘unfortunately didn’t come to fruition’.

Colr. Duffy said: “We need the Executive back up and we need multi-year budgets and that’s the only way can address the housing crisis.”

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter