AQW 22613/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 14/02/2025
Answered On Date: 31/03/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any steps his Department is taking to address the shortage of affordable and social housing in East Londonderry, particularly in areas where demand is highest.

Answer:

Housing need is generally addressed through the re-let of existing social housing accommodation (Stock turnover). Where the volume of re-lets is insufficient to meet housing need, then construction or acquisition of further (new) social housing is required.

In the East Londonderry constituency:

•51 social housing units have been completed in 2024/25 to date.

•There are currently 76 social housing units under construction.

•There are 591 social housing units programmed to start as part of the Social Housing Development Programme (SHDP) 2024/25 – 2027/28.

It should be noted that programmed schemes can be lost or slip to future programme years for a variety of reasons e.g. relating to delays in acquiring sites and/or failure to secure Planning Approval. Additional schemes can also be added to the SHDP ‘in-year’ through Competitive Land, Design & Build procurement route and/or the purchase of Existing Satisfactory / Off-the-Shelf properties

Co-Ownership is the Department’s main delivery partner for intermediate housing. In 2023/2024, 43 Co-Ownership homes were delivered in East Londonderry.

Wider than this, the Executive Housing Supply Strategy published on 9th December identifies the need for a whole system approach to address housing supply issues. The Strategy recognises there is not one single overarching challenge impacting on supply. As we move to implementation of the Strategy, addressing these challenges will depend on Executive commitment to invest in the actions required to deliver the supply we need.