AQW 37593/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 06/01/2026
Answered On Date: 13/01/2026
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail (i) why 11 individuals were unable to access emergency shelter under the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol on Sunday 4 January 2026, due to capacity related issues; and (ii) any steps his Department will take to prevent this happening again.

Answer:

This issue is an operational matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I have sought the requested information from the Chief Executive, who has advised me as follows:

“The Housing Executive put in place SWEP arrangements on 4th January to support those sleeping rough to secure emergency accommodation. While one of the SWEP providers did face capacity and logistical challenges on the night of the 4thJanuary, the Housing Executive’s Out of Hours homelessness service engaged throughout the night with our partner organisations to address issues of rough sleeping, as would normally be the case in such instances.

SWEP is a distinct additional and non-statutory arrangement put in place by the NIHE, in partnership with voluntary and community sector partners to meet emergency accommodation needs for anyone sleeping rough.

It is not unusual for SWEP to be in place for prolonged periods during the winter months, as indeed it was last year, and the NIHE is grateful to voluntary and community sector partners for working so effectively with us. Our teams will continue to work alongside those voluntary and community sector partners around the clock to ensure provision is maintained.”