AQW 15816/17-22
Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry
Tabled Date: 04/03/2021
Answered On Date: 18/03/2021
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities, pursuant to AQW 14955/17-22, to detail the steps taken by her Department to (i) reduce the number of (a) applicants; and (b) applicants in housing stress in East Londonderry; and (ii) increase the number of allocations to applicants.
Answer:
I have set out an ambitious and long-term plan to increase the supply of social and also affordable housing and to reduce housing stress. My plan includes: Changing the status of the landlord part of the Housing Executive so that it can borrow, invest in its homes and ultimately start building again; Bringing forward a consultation on the future of the Housing Executive House Sales Scheme, as soon as practicably possible in order to protect the current supply of social housing; Reintroducing ring-fencing of the new build Social Housing Development Programme (SHDP) to prioritise areas of highest housing need. Introducing reform of the social housing allocations system; Ensuring the Housing Executive prioritises adaptations; Developing new ways to help people into home ownership and continuing to support shared ownership schemes, such as, Co-Ownership; Expanding the rental options available by introducing intermediate rent to provide an additional supply of good quality, well managed and maintained homes, which are affordable for lower income families; Working proactively to prioritise actions to improve our response to homelessness with a continued focus on prevention rather than management; and Developing a Housing Supply Strategy to provide a framework for addressing those whole system issues that impact on housing supply and the delivery of the right volume and types of homes to meet our changing housing need and demand. In the shorter term the key action taken to reduce the numbers of Housing Applicants, including those in Housing Stress; and to increase the number of allocations, is to deliver new social housing through the Social Housing Development Programme. In the East Derry Parliamentary constituency there have been 52 new social housing units completed to-date in 2020/21. These units are detailed in Table 1 below. Table 1: Social housing completions to-date in 2020/21 in East Derry Parliamentary Constituency Housing Association | Scheme Name | Location | Type | Need Group | Strategic Group | Units | Onsite Year | Choice | Beresford Avenue | Coleraine | New Build | General Needs | Urban | 14 | 2019/20 | Clanmil | 13 Union Street | Coleraine | New Build | Active Elderly | Urban | 18 | 2017/18 | Habinteg | 45 Girona Avenue | Portrush | New Build | General Needs | Urban | 7 | 2018/19 | Habinteg | 45 Girona Avenue | Portrush | New Build | Wheelchair | Urban | 3 | 2018/19 | Rural | Site adjacent to 299 Foreglen Road | Foreglen | New Build | General Needs | Rural | 3 | 2019/20 | Triangle | 21 Parklea | Portstewart | Existing Satisfactory Purchase | General Needs | Urban | 1 | 2016/17 | Triangle | 22 Ashdale | Coleraine | Existing Satisfactory Purchase | General Needs | Urban | 1 | 2016/17 | Triangle | 8-10 Upper Captain Street | Coleraine | Existing Satisfactory Purchase | General Needs | Urban | 5 | 2016/17 |
A further 132 new social housing units are under construction. These units are detailed in Table 2 below. Table 2: Social housing units under construction in East Derry Parliamentary Constituency Housing Association | Scheme Name | Location | Type | Need Group | Strategic Group | Units | Onsite Year | CompletionYear | Apex Housing | Hass Road Phase 3 (T) | Dungiven | New Build | General Needs | Rural | 18 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Apex Housing | Hass Road Phase 3 (T) | Dungiven | New Build | Wheelchair | Rural | 4 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Apex Housing | Hass Road Phase 3A (T) | Dungiven | New Build | Wheelchair | Rural | 1 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Ark | Railway Road | Coleraine | Off-the-Shelf | General Needs | Urban | 12 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Choice | The Hill, Portstewart | Portstewart | New Build | General Needs | Urban | 9 | 2020/21 | 2022/23 | Radius | (Site adjacent to 191) Coleraine Road | Portstewart | New Build | General Needs | Urban | 57 | 2019/20 | 2021/22 | Radius | (Site adjacent to 191) Coleraine Road | Portstewart | New Build | Active Elderly | Urban | 12 | 2019/20 | 2021/22 | Radius | (Site adjacent to 191) Coleraine Road | Portstewart | New Build | Wheelchair | Urban | 6 | 2019/20 | 2021/22 | Triangle | Portstewart Road | Coleraine | Off-the-Shelf | General Needs | Urban | 6 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | Triangle | Harpurs Hill, Phase 2 (T) | Coleraine | New Build | General Needs | Urban | 4 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Triangle | Harpurs Hill, Phase 2 (T) | Coleraine | New Build | Wheelchair | Urban | 3 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Housing Association | Scheme Name | Location | Type | Need Group | Strategic Group | Units | Onsite Year | CompletionYear | Apex Housing | Hass Road Phase 3 (T) | Dungiven | New Build | General Needs | Rural | 18 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Apex Housing | Hass Road Phase 3 (T) | Dungiven | New Build | Wheelchair | Rural | 4 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Apex Housing | Hass Road Phase 3A (T) | Dungiven | New Build | Wheelchair | Rural | 1 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Ark | Railway Road | Coleraine | Off-the-Shelf | General Needs | Urban | 12 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Choice | The Hill, Portstewart | Portstewart | New Build | General Needs | Urban | 9 | 2020/21 | 2022/23 | Radius | (Site adjacent to 191) Coleraine Road | Portstewart | New Build | General Needs | Urban | 57 | 2019/20 | 2021/22 | Radius | (Site adjacent to 191) Coleraine Road | Portstewart | New Build | Active Elderly | Urban | 12 | 2019/20 | 2021/22 | Radius | (Site adjacent to 191) Coleraine Road | Portstewart | New Build | Wheelchair | Urban | 6 | 2019/20 | 2021/22 | Triangle | Portstewart Road | Coleraine | Off-the-Shelf | General Needs | Urban | 6 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | Triangle | Harpurs Hill, Phase 2 (T) | Coleraine | New Build | General Needs | Urban | 4 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Triangle | Harpurs Hill, Phase 2 (T) | Coleraine | New Build | Wheelchair | Urban | 3 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
A total of 95 units are currently programmed to start as part of the Social Housing Development Programme (SHDP) 2020/21 – 2022/23. These units are detailed in Table 3 below. Table 3: Social housing units programmed to start 2020/21 – 2022/23 in East Derry Parliamentary Constituency Housing Association | Scheme Name | Location | Type | Need Group | Strategic Group | Units | Onsite Year | CompletionYear | Choice | Keely Gardens (T) | Aghadowey | New Build | General Needs | Rural | 4 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | Apex Housing | Coastguard Road | Coleraine | New Build | General Needs | Rural | 6 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | Choice | Captain Street | Coleraine | New Build | General Needs | Urban | 31 | 2021/22 | 2023/24 | Choice | Captain Street | Coleraine | New Build | Wheelchair | Urban | 4 | 2021/22 | 2023/24 | Choice | Beresford Avenue | Coleraine | New Build | General Needs | Urban | 50 | 2022/23 | 2024/25 |
|