Debate contribution: Housing Costs

Debate contribution by Mrs Pam Cameron on 19 January 2026.

MLA

Mrs Pam Cameron

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

19 January 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Housing Costs

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5322572

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The DUP amendment allows the Assembly not only to acknowledge the real pressures that tenants face but to focus on the solutions that will improve affordability in the long-term. There is no dispute about the scale of the challenge. Average private rents in Northern Ireland increased by 6·4% in the year to September 2025, rising to £871 a month, with rents in Belfast being significantly higher at over £1,100. At the same time, house prices continued to rise, making it harder for people to move from renting into homeownership. We can all agree that rents need to be affordable. There are working families paying far too much of their income on rent — families who do not qualify for social housing but are locked out of homeownership as well. That reality must be recognised by us all.

It is vital, however, that the Assembly be honest about what is driving those pressures. The fundamental issue is supply. Demand for housing continues to outstrip supply in the social and affordable housing sectors in particular, and the imbalance places sustained pressure on the private rented sector. When social housing stock is insufficient, more households are pushed into private renting. That increases competition for a limited number of properties and inevitably puts upward pressure on rents. Until that imbalance is addressed, no single regulatory intervention will deliver lasting affordability. That is why our amendment is important. It recognises that existing measures alone are insufficient, as demand outstrips supply, and correctly identifies the loss of social housing stock as a contributor to rent inflation. Housing is now rightly recognised as a core Executive priority. Under DUP leadership, the Minister for Communities has delivered an ambitious housing supply strategy, setting out a clear framework to deliver at least 100,000 homes across all tenures. The strategy recognises housing as foundational, underpinning health, education, economic participation and community stability. Crucially, the Minister is not simply setting out his ambition but delivering action in extremely challenging financial circumstances. Significant capital investment is being directed into new social housing, with reforms to funding models that are designed to stretch limited budgets further and build more homes. Thousands of new social homes targeted at areas of greatest housing need are under construction across Northern Ireland. Alongside that, the DUP Minister has taken decisive action to support working households in the private rented sector through the introduction of the intermediate rent scheme. The scheme delivers high-quality homes at around a 20% discount on market rents, providing greater affordability, improved quality and better security of tenure for those who struggle with rising costs. The Minister has also acted to address homelessness and the escalating cost of temporary accommodation by approving the purchase of hundreds of homes for that purpose, thus reducing the reliance on hotels and bed-and-breakfast accommodation, while delivering better outcomes for vulnerable families and better value for the taxpayer. Those are practical, responsible interventions that focus on delivery, not on ideology. Members must be honest about the risks associated with universal or blunt rent controls. Independent research has highlighted the fact that a large proportion of landlords — in some cases, up to 60% — may exit the private rented sector if tighter rent controls are imposed. In an already stretched market, losing that level of supply would make the situation much worse, not better. There is also evidence that some landlords may move properties into the short-term holiday let market, reducing further the availability of long-term private rentals. The research is clear: the most effective way to relieve pressure on rents is to increase housing supply and ensure that the benefits system properly reflects the cost of housing. It is important to note that Northern Ireland already has third-generation rent regulation in place. Under reforms delivered by Minister Lyons, rents can be increased only once in a 12-month period, and tenants must receive three months' written notice of any increase. That system has broad stakeholder support and strikes the right balance between tenant protection and market stability. It makes sense to monitor and evaluate that framework before rushing into introducing further controls that could have unintended consequences. I will address the call for a review of the house sales scheme. Homeownership remains an important aspiration, and the DUP continues to support that aspiration. It is, however, also responsible to recognise that, in a period of high housing stress, the ongoing loss of social housing stock must be carefully considered. A review will allow us to ensure that policies remain balanced, sustainable and appropriate to current housing need. It is not about ending aspiration but about ensuring that the system works as a whole. Finally, the cost-of-living crisis has made saving for a deposit increasingly difficult, placing additional pressure on the private rented sector. The DUP Minister has responded to that by raising the upper property value limit for co-ownership, thus helping more people move into homeownership and easing the pressure on private rentals. He has delivered a balanced package, an ambitious housing supply strategy and intermediate rent scheme, enhanced standards in the private rented sector and reforms that improve security and quality for tenants while maintaining stability in the market. Our amendment reflects a balanced approach, acknowledges the real pressures, avoids policies that will shrink supply and focuses on solutions that will work. Housing is too important for a

driven policy. The DUP believes in delivery, sustainability and long-term affordability. I urge Members across the House to support the DUP amendment.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:17 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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