Member's statement: Housing: Asylum Accommodation

Member's statement by Mr Phillip Brett on 3 February 2026.

MLA

Mr Phillip Brett

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

3 February 2026

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Housing: Asylum Accommodation

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5362316

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Last month, the deputy First Minister exposed the fact that the Home Office was withholding hundreds of empty homes across Northern Ireland for use in the claiming of asylum. We are in the middle of a housing crisis. That is not rhetoric; it is the lived experience and reality for thousands of families in my North Belfast constituency. Families are stuck in temporary accommodation; young people struggle to get a first home; parents and grandparents are sharing overcrowded houses; and many are left in properties that are simply not fit for purpose. That is reality and fact. However, at the same time, hundreds of homes are being held empty on behalf of the Home Office. That is completely unacceptable and, frankly, disgraceful. The Home Office has contracted Mears to secure those properties as the Labour Government continue to fail with their immigration policy. In doing so, Mears has made significant profits that have exceeded the permitted margins, but, more shockingly, hundreds of homes sit empty and unavailable to my constituents, who desperately need them. That equates to just over 1,000 empty bed spaces across Northern Ireland. Let that sink in: over 1,000 bed spaces are lying unused while families in North Belfast languish on waiting lists. That is not inefficiency; it is a moral failure, and taxpayers' money is being used to keep those homes empty. I want to be clear that this is not about pitting communities against one another. It is about accountability, transparency and common sense. At a time of severe housing shortage, no public authority should be allowed to warehouse empty homes while people are left without a roof over their head. The Home Office must explain why those properties are not being released back into the housing system immediately. Mears must explain how the situation has been allowed to develop and why it has put profit before people. There have been talks of discussions, reviews and looking at the processes, but families in North Belfast do not have time for talk; they need action, and that is what I am demanding. It goes far beyond one company or one contract, but it speaks to the lack of transparency in the Home Office and how it operates in Northern Ireland. It cannot continue. It is appalling that people face homelessness and housing stress through this winter while hundreds of properties are left empty. That is an insult to my constituents and every person across Northern Ireland. Today, I call on the Home Office to urgently release those homes back into the housing stock so that they can house my constituents and others. Others may remain silent on the issue, but the Democratic Unionist Party will not.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 01:21 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification