Debate contribution: Housing Costs

Debate contribution by Mr Maurice Bradley on 19 January 2026.

MLA

Mr Maurice Bradley

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 5322700

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will speak to our amendment, which is grounded in a simple proposition: if we are serious about stabilising rents and improving affordability, we must address not only the demand pressures in the private rented sector but the policy choices that are steadily shrinking the supply of genuinely affordable homes. In the debate, Members across the House recognised the sharp rise in private rents and the strain that that places on working households, families and those on fixed incomes. Our amendment adds value by connecting the rent crisis to one of its structural drivers: insufficient capital investment in social housing, which pushes more and more people into the private rented sector and intensifies competition for a limited supply. In that context, our call for a review of the house sales scheme is a practical, targeted step. It asks the Minister to examine whether current arrangements unintentionally reduce social stock, weakening the system's capacity to absorb need and, ultimately, contributing to rent inflation. That is not an ideological point; it is a stabilisation measure. It is about ensuring that public housing assets are managed in a way that protects affordability, supports housing security and reduces upward pressure on rents while the Executive work to increase overall supply. However, lack of infrastructure investment sees the construction industry willing and able to build but shackled, through the lack of water, waste water and sewage capacity, in taking projects forward, which further increases strain on the available housing stock. I highlight the increase in the number of former Housing Executive properties that are bought by speculators to become private rented accommodation or HMOs. My office is like those of other MLAs in having a massive caseload of constituents seeking housing. However, living in the north coast area exacerbates a problem that exists across Northern Ireland. It does so in a monumental way, forcing the indigenous population out of their community to seek properties elsewhere. I commend our amendment to the House and ask Members to support it.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

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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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