Debate contribution: Housing Crisis on the North Coast

Debate contribution by Ms Claire Sugden on 7 May 2024.

MLA

Ms Claire Sugden

Party at the time

Independent

Date

7 May 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Housing Crisis on the North Coast

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4488512

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I offer my best wishes to Mr Bradley. I was not aware that he was unwell. I appreciate that he takes care of the east of the constituency and that you, Mr Robinson, take care of the west. As ladies, we take care of all of it. Hopefully, I will commit to that through my contribution. I also thank Ms Hunter for securing the debate. Her contribution was fantastic. She articulated the issues so diligently and got to the crux of the matter. I have been highlighting the problem for several years, so I appreciate the attention that it is now being given in the Assembly. I also appreciate the fact that the Minister is here. He is a north coast boy, so I am sure that he has an interest, but the issue is not limited to the north coast. I am sure that there are other areas of Northern Ireland and, indeed, outside Northern Ireland that are affected, and we can talk about that later. It is an important issue, and it has a severe impact on those affected. We have heard from other Members how many that is. Having a home is a fundamental part of our lives: it creates stability, enables community and is connected to our children's education, our health, our ability to work and earn a living and our emotional well-being. I appreciate that there are many areas across the region that have housing challenges, and I expect every MLA to say, as Ms Hunter did, that it is the most common issue that is presented in our constituency offices. Undoubtedly, Northern Ireland is experiencing a housing crisis generally. We see that acutely on the north coast for the same reasons as other areas, but it is compounded by issues related to second-home ownership. I take Mr Robinson's point that this is not about demonising second-home owners but about trying to find balance, so that we can benefit from the economy that is stimulated by second-home owners and other people who come to the north coast but, equally, so that we can provide enough homes for people who want to live and work there. They may have grown up in the area, and it is what they want for their families and their children as well. The impact of the housing crisis is wide-ranging, and it has a profound effect on individuals, communities, local services and the economy. An immediate consequence is an increase in homelessness, and people are being forced to live in shelters and overcrowded accommodation. They are sofa-surfing, or they are placed in temporary accommodation that is hours away from their community, their child's school or their job. Imagine having additional challenges, such as fleeing a domestic abuse situation, having a child with special educational needs or being an older person who already feels isolated, and to then be offered temporary accommodation that is miles away from the area that you call home. That is shameful, and it feels as though it is not a priority for our Government. I look forward to hearing what the Minister has to say on that, because, if it is the number-one issue in every constituency office across Northern Ireland, that tells me that it is an action that needs to be prioritised, and I would expect to see it in our next Programme for Government. Housing affordability is also becoming a significant challenge in the midst of a housing crisis and a cost-of-living crisis. As demand outstrips supply, housing prices and rents increase to unaffordable levels. Many now find themselves in financial hardship simply to keep a roof over their head. Those who cannot afford the rising costs will move on, and those who can afford it will move in for the weekend. Long-term residents and families are being displaced. Young families who wish to raise their children in the area where they grew up are being priced away. Older people, who expected to live out their final years, are being evicted. I have many examples of that having happened. I want to talk about second-home ownership, because there is increased interest in it and it is something that I have spoken about over the last number of years. It has an impact: it can drive up property prices in areas with limited housing supply, which makes it difficult for local residents, particularly those on lower incomes, to afford housing. That phenomenon, as many of you will know, is known as "gentrification", and it can lead to the displacement of long-term residents and change the character of communities. Many homes are primarily used as holiday homes, leading to seasonal fluctuations in population. We have heard that, in the winter months, there is, perhaps, only one family living in a street. You do not have to knock the doors: if you look at the electoral register, you will see that, in a street of 10 houses, there is only one family registered there. That is definite data that suggests that we are experiencing a problem on the north coast, and maybe it is something that the Minister can look at to see how prevalent it is. Local infrastructure can also be strained, leading to issues with waste and water management. That comes back to the issue of building more homes, and the Minister will be familiar with that. We can build as many homes as we like, but the first hurdle is getting planning permission, and our infrastructure is not able to cope. This is such a cross-cutting issue, as, it seems, everything is, and it is something that we really need to properly focus on.

Members have talked about other impacts, but it is important that we look towards solutions. It is a really difficult issue. We need only to look at other parts of the UK — for example, Cornwall and, I think, Pembrokeshire in Wales — to see what solutions have been taken there. They have not always been successful. They include council tax premiums, or whatever the equivalent might be here, but some people would argue that if you can afford a second home, you could probably afford that particular increase. How much impact would it really have? There is a lot more to be done to empower the local authorities, the councils, to look at their planning policies to see how we give status, I suppose, to second homes and whether enforcement is actually happening, because, sometimes, a measure is already in place, but the council is not enforcing it. Other opportunities are affordable housing requirements and change of use restrictions. There are community land trusts. I do not know whether there is a direct translation to Northern Ireland. I am sure that the Minister could look into that. There are tourist taxes. We see those in other parts of the world. That might be something that we want to do, and the money could go back into those local communities to, perhaps, mitigate some of the challenges that we have with second homes. There could be empty homes initiatives. Second-home owners might find themselves in the difficult situation where their home, which is costing them money to keep, heat and light, is not working for them, maybe because people do not want to come to the area. We need to do a number of different things and be creative. I am really pleased that the Minister is in the Chamber, because it has felt as though we have been talking about the issue for such a long time but not really doing anything about it. I look forward to hearing the Minister's solutions.

1,274 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:22 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification