Debate contribution: Housing Costs

Debate contribution by Ms Cara Hunter on 19 January 2026.

MLA

Ms Cara Hunter

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

19 January 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Housing Costs

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5322704

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the discussion, although I am sad that we have to continue to have it. Across the House, we have different political beliefs and come from different backgrounds, but housing is the one issue that unites us. We recognise the suffering in our communities and the significant distress that it causes to people whom we meet each and every day. We have a shared desire to see the issue resolved, albeit we have different reasons or pathways in how we try to get there. With rents rising every day, our constituents ask desperately, "Where do we go from here?". As of March 2025, over 49,000 households were waiting for social housing, which is the highest that that number has been for over a decade. Every day, children are spending their childhoods — their Christmases and birthdays — in hostels. Speaking for each and every one of us across the House, I know that that is something that we never want to see. Its continuation is truly unforgivable. Homelessness creates a sense of hopelessness, and, right now, over 10,000 households in Northern Ireland are viewed as being homeless. Two families in my constituency recently faced homelessness, in the week of Christmas, and that was undoubtedly one of the most emotional cases that I have worked on in my nearly six years as an MLA. Two families, one of which had seven children and the other a single mother of two girls, were traumatised by the delay in getting access to adequate housing. The imagery of how they described putting up a small Christmas tree inside a hostel would have moved anybody. It was very emotional to listen to the stress that they had experienced, and I would not wish it on anybody. Those are the people whom we are talking about today. Rent affordability in my constituency, as Members across the House mentioned, continues to price people out of the very communities and streets in which they grew up and were raised, which is eroding a sense of community almost entirely. We know, all too well, the impact of that in East Derry. From Castlerock to Portrush, Portstewart or Portballantrae, many places are completely unrecognisable due to second homeownership, which has shot up so sharply over the past number of years. It is leaving locals, with whom I grew up, being forced to move their families away from the support networks and the familiarity with which they grew up. We also need more social housing immediately. I will move on to Members' comments, and I will do my best to get in as many as possible. Pam Cameron mentioned that the cost of living is having a profound impact on potential buyers, particularly young couples who are trying to save for a deposit, who are already having an extremely stressful time. Ciara Ferguson, who, I know, does great work as part of the all-party group on homelessness, talked about the importance of the security, peace and dignity that come with having a stable life in a home. It is something that everybody wants, but thousands are in acute need. I agree wholeheartedly with her about the impact on the mental health of those who are experiencing homelessness. Kellie Armstrong articulated the anxiety that so many feel when wondering whether they will have a roof over their head because of unaffordable rent. That can feel suffocating and cause significant distress. She also echoed concerns about coastal homes. She was followed by Ms Mulholland, who stated that we hear about that issue every day. She and I have beautiful coastal constituencies, but we share the downside of that, which is that local people are struggling and suffering due to there being no regulation, data or monitoring of coastal homes. The Minister for Communities is no stranger to my torturing him about the issue, so I welcome any movement from his Department on engaging with the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in particular, as the issue continues to impact on businesses, schools and local families, including young families who are just starting out and want to have a home and a stable life. Robbie Butler mentioned that housing insecurity did not happen in isolation. It is an outcome of successive Executives, who have contributed to the issue through the lack of available social housing. We need to be honest about what is deliverable in the coming months in the mandate. Timothy Gaston touched on the importance of the NI Water issue and waste water infrastructure, articulating again the problem for young couples who want to get on their feet. It is so important to highlight that today. Mr Carroll gave voice to one of the most profound points in the debate when he said that working-class people did not create this crisis but, sadly, will suffer the most because of it. That really summarises the entire debate today. We are blessed to be in the position that we are in. We have the capacity not only to put some of our constituents' concerns to the House but to articulate some solutions. In the SDLP, we find it deeply regrettable that the housing situation has been allowed to deteriorate. We are bringing forward practical solutions, such as the importance of robust rent controls and the issue of supply and rebuilding. We encourage Members to support our motion and to continue debating the issues to find a way forward that ensures that every family, regardless of who they are or where they live, has a right to a safe and happy home.

933 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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