Debate contribution: Housing: Disrepair, Damp and Mould

Debate contribution by Mr Maurice Bradley on 24 February 2026.

MLA

Mr Maurice Bradley

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

24 February 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Housing: Disrepair, Damp and Mould

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5404812

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank Mr Carroll for proposing the motion and Mr Durkan for proposing amendment No 1. As the Minister said, there is not much difference between our amendment and Mr Durkan's. I join Members in expressing my sympathy to the family of Awaab Ishak, who lost his life far too soon and for a very unnecessary reason. Nobody in the Chamber disputes that people deserve warm, safe and healthy homes. Damp and mould in homes is unacceptable in this day and age, and it is a common theme of the complaints made in my constituency office, and I expect that it is the same for every other MLA. Addressing damp and mould is a priority. The motion, however, fails to confront a simple reality that is a barrier to delivery, which is the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's inability to borrow. The Housing Executive manages more than 82,000 homes. Most of them were built decades ago and now require a significant retrofit, which it is estimated will cost millions of pounds over the next 10 or 20 years. That level of investment simply cannot be delivered through annual Budgets alone. Unlike housing associations, the Housing Executive is classified as a public body and is therefore prohibited from borrowing to invest in its own stock. The result is predictable: essential upgrades are delayed; preventative maintenance is crowded out by emergency repairs; and progress is far slower than tenants deserve. That is not mismanagement but a structural funding problem. The Communities Minister has been right to press for reform. Without borrowing powers, even well-designed strategies remain constrained by the Treasury's rules rather than by housing need. Granting the Housing Executive access to borrowing would unlock long-term, planned investment that would allow damp and mould to be tackled proactively, homes to be insulated properly and energy efficiency improvements to be delivered at scale. That is why the warm healthy homes strategy 2026-2036 matters. It provides a clear framework, but it will succeed only if the Housing Executive has the financial tools to deliver it. Damp and mould are not minor maintenance issues. Much of the problems stem from houses' poor design and from inadequate insulation, ventilation and heating systems. Damp and mould are serious public health hazards, which have been linked to respiratory illness, poor mental health and a negative impact on children's development. Fuel-poor households are particularly vulnerable, because low incomes, high energy costs and poor energy efficiency all combine to create cold, damp homes. It is also important to be clear, as Awaab's law recognises, that damp and mould is not caused by tenants' lifestyles. It is not caused by cooking, washing, drying clothes or doing other normal household activities. Where homes lack proper insulation, ventilation or heating, condensation and mould are predictable structural outcomes, which are made worse when families cannot afford to heat their home. If Members are serious about tackling damp and mould, we must be serious about enabling the Housing Executive to borrow. Without that power to borrow, progress will always fall short and be slow.

The DUP will continue to focus on delivery, reform and realism, ensuring that safe, healthy homes are delivered in practice, not just promised in principle. Gerry Carroll suggested that the poorest in society are affected most, with their living methods being blamed as a cause of damp and mould etc. It is totally untrue that those things cause mould; there are other contributory factors. Mark Durkan insisted that the problem affects not just Northern Ireland Housing Executive property but the private rented sector, and he encouraged the Minister to look into both. It is a rising problem in my constituency, where the number of complaints has risen from 744 in 2019-2020 to 1,307 in 2023-24. Pam Cameron said that no one should be living in a home with damp and mould. She called for action on Awaab's law and for recognition of problems and periods for taking action when emergencies or significant faults are identified. Colm Gildernew highlighted the fact that Awaab's life could have been saved had action been taken — that is a sad reality; it was an unnecessary loss of life — and called for reforms to the private rented sector. Kellie Armstrong highlighted the fact that too many people in Northern Ireland are living with damp and mould. She suggested that the fact that they are doing so is a sign of a sector that is under pressure. Robbie Butler said that one of the most common complaints heard in his office is that work is done to cover the problem but not to address the cause. Cathy Mason highlighted the battle that residents must have with landlords and the NIHE to address problems with mould and damp in a timely fashion, and she suggested that there is too much delay. David Brooks cited inclement weather as a contributor to mould. He also mentioned old housing stock, some of which is in use today. Maolíosa McHugh —.

OK. Sorry, Maolíosa.

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

Assessment

Not qualifying

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:03 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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