Debate contribution: Holiday Homes and Short-term Lets

Debate contribution by Mrs Cathy Mason on 4 November 2025.

MLA

Mrs Cathy Mason

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

4 November 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Holiday Homes and Short-term Lets

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5217138

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Housing stress and housing pressure are felt across the North. We have heard a lot about Derry and the north coast this evening, but those pressures are also prevalent in South Down. Due to the increasing demand for housing in our rural and coastal communities, it is a harsh reality that young people and families across South Down are being locked out of owning a home or living in the community in which they grew up. South Down is an area of outstanding natural beauty, and we are so lucky to have the stunning Lecale coastline, the iconic Mountains of Mourne, seaside towns such as Newcastle and idyllic villages such as Dundrum, Ardglass and Killough. That makes the area an attractive location to go to for days trips and short holidays or even to relocate to permanently. The reality, however, is that that puts the available housing stock in the area under more and more pressure due to an increase in demand. More and more people face housing pressure, whether that is due to the lack of housing in general, the rising cost of rent, limited access to the market or the increase in the number of short-term lets and holiday homes. The housing crisis is, as has been said, complex. It is multifaceted, but it is spiralling out of control. The crux of the challenge continues to be about ensuring the availability and affordability of housing alongside providing adequate support to tackle poverty and help low-income households. The housing crisis will not, however, be solved by tackling one aspect of the problem alone. We need to see cross-cutting action that will make a real impact in addressing rising housing pressure. Rural communities across South Down need to be able to access affordable and social housing. As of June 2025, there were 3,994 people on the social housing waiting list. Of those, 3,355 were experiencing housing stress. We need to be creative. We need solutions to develop affordable and social homes in areas such as Newcastle, Downpatrick, Castlewellan and across South Down and, indeed, the North. I have been working recently with Clanmil on the transformation of the old Downe Hospital site into much-needed family homes in the heart of Downpatrick. We need to see more of that creative thinking. Working with housing organisations and other groups is key to building more affordable social housing. It is vital that families and young people are not locked out of the opportunity to live in the communities in which they grew up. Safeguarding future generations is key to protecting the fabric of our rural, coastal and small communities. The Communities Minister should, as a priority, work at pace to deliver more social and affordable housing.

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

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:46 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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