Debate contribution: Housing (Amendment) Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Mrs Ciara Ferguson on 21 September 2026.

MLA: Mrs Ciara Ferguson
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 21 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Housing (Amendment) Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5743244

Text

We know that the Bill alone will not solve homelessness. We in Sinn Féin have been clear that what is required is significant investment in social and affordable housing; preventing the unnecessary loss of vital public housing stock; ending unfair fees and practices, including banning no-fault evictions; preventing unjustifiable rent increases; and expanding schemes that support security of tenancy. I do not want to spend time rehearsing what we all already know about the impact of safe, affordable, warm homes on the lives of people and communities. That is what we all strive for here, and that is what we want for every person and family in our communities. Like many in the Chamber and across our communities, I think that we need a more strategic direction and an announcement of shorter-term actions, such as the one that Colm has suggested, to ease the pressure, alongside the longer-term solutions in regard to the sustainability of the Housing Executive as our largest public housing provider. It would be useful to hear about the progress on the transformation of the Housing Executive that we all want to see. Years of rising need and underinvestment in social housing have meant a system stretched beyond capacity, resulting in huge amounts of money being pumped into temporary, unstable and unsuitable accommodation as a crisis response. Let us start to move away from crisis responses. We need to support people to understand their rights and to navigate increasing waiting lists for prolonged periods. They are living in precarity right now. I recently spoke to a mother and a son who will lose their home in 28 days. To be honest, the mother thought that she had no future. She works full-time, and her son works part-time. I explored with her co-ownership and intermediate rent, which are the options. She went out of the office feeling lighter, still knowing that she has to wait 28 days to go to the Housing Executive, which then needs to do her points and scoring and review her scoring, but it should also look at all the options. That is what the Housing Executive needs to do: give those people some solace, give them the range of options on offer to them and give them more time. That is all that the Bill asks for: more time. I acknowledge all our homelessness prevention and housing support charities and their front-line workers, alongside major campaign groups and projects such as Community Action Tenants Union, Participation and the Practice of Rights, Housing Rights, Renters' Voice and others. I also recognise those who play regulatory and enforcement roles in protecting ordinary people, workers and families from the hidden fees and unfair practices, including those in the housing system.
The Bill should be welcomed by all in the Chamber. Any proposal that helps to prevent homelessness and extends the time available for people to access specialist housing advice represents, ultimately, a more humane approach. We know about the ever-increasing pressure, but we know that the Bill will contribute to crisis reduction. We need that to be urgently strengthened further through sustained investment in social homes, the protection of our public housing providers, eviction prevention, including targeted prevention that is focused on at-risk demographics, investment in Housing First, and coordinated plans in respect of our housing supply strategy.

552 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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