Debate contribution: Housing Crisis on the North Coast

Debate contribution by Mrs Ciara Ferguson on 7 May 2024.

MLA

Mrs Ciara Ferguson

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

7 May 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Housing Crisis on the North Coast

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4488516

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Member who secured the Adjournment debate on housing need. Although the debate is specific to the north coast, including parts of the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area, it is important to reiterate that we recognise the growing need that exists across all our constituencies. When we consider the data, broken down by council area, it is clear that there is significant need in all our constituencies, particularly in Belfast and Derry. However, coastal areas, such as Causeway Coast and Glens and Newry, Mourne and Down, for example, face unique challenges, including those that relate to the proliferation of short-term lets and second homes. As we are well aware, as of September 2023, 45,615 households were on the social housing waiting list . The crux of our challenge remains both the availability and affordability of housing, alongside adequate support to tackle poverty and support for low-income households. Housing is a human right, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognised in international human rights law. However, much more work is needed for that to be realised, including government policy, which can help to guide housing provision. We all have a duty to ensure that every person has access to a safe, secure and affordable place to call home. We must use our collective knowledge about the key issues in respect of housing need, which is further examined by the Department, to ensure that we can prevent any imbalance in housing diversity, affordability and availability across our different communities. Young people deserve to have suitable housing available in their area of choice, including the communities in which they grew up or where they find work, whether that is urban, rural or coastal. We must ensure that design standards are improved to meet a diversity of needs, including for people with physical disabilities and larger families who are currently living in unsuitable homes without the facilities, space or independence that they need. Every home that is built that is not accessible or adaptable to a diversity of needs is a wasted opportunity and a future problem. It is also important that we can and must deliver a more regionally balanced economy, unlock the full potential of our tourism sector and, coinciding with that, resource a long-term plan for building homes both for social rent and to be made available for homeowners. We must see urgent developments on the Housing Executive reform project alongside improved housing standards and energy efficiency. Additionally, we need to see enhanced regulation of those who are involved in house letting. In order to provide a long-term framework to work to across the four-party Executive and the Opposition, I ask the Minister for Communities to publish the housing supply strategy with a sensible timeline for delivery and also to ensure that housing is and will remain a priority in the forthcoming Programme for Government. Achieving housing for all will have positive implications for the health and well-being of every generation, and our communities and families cannot wait.

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

Assessment

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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.

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