Report calls for urgent action to address ‘housing crisis’ in Northern Ireland

Stormont ministers need to take urgent action to address a “housing and homelessness crisis” in Northern Ireland, a report has claimed.

The report, titled An Agenda For Change: Tackling The Housing And Homelessness Crisis, urges a number of measures, including the Executive exploring potential reforms that would enable Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) to access the capital to support future housing developments and infrastructure projects.

The recommendations in the report from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) also include calls to accelerate progress towards net zero housing and secure sustainable capital financing for housing development.

Justin Cartwright, the national director of CIH Northern Ireland, said: “The housing and homelessness crisis requires bold, immediate action, and this manifesto report lays out a clear road map for government to overcome the identified challenges.

“Accelerating progress towards net zero homes and addressing the budget challenges that threaten our housing ambitions are essential to be able to provide the homes needed.

“Resolving Northern Ireland’s housing crisis will require cross-government support and action.

“CIH NI is committed to working with the Minister for Communities and the Minister for Infrastructure to implement the measures recommended within the report.”

The report said that the current structure of NI Water, which provides water and sewerage services in the region, is a “significant barrier to unlocking essential investment in infrastructure”.

It said that exploring potential reforms to enable NI Water to access capital is “crucial to meeting the growing demand for housing across Northern Ireland”.

It also highlighted that Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland without a dedicated fund for housing decarbonisation.

The report calls for the urgent establishment of such a fund to reduce carbon emissions in the housing sector.

It said: “This is essential not only for meeting environmental targets but also for ensuring that residents benefit from lower energy costs and healthier living environments.”

The report also calls for a need to increase capital funding dedicated to housing.

The CIH NI has written to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons expressing concern over Northern Ireland’s “sluggish progress” towards net zero housing.

It has also sent a letter to Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd requesting information on how the department is prioritising the exploration of reforms to NI Water’s financial and operational models.

The Department for Communities and Department for Infrastructure have been approached for comment.