AQW 47514/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 01/06/2026
Answered On Date: 16/06/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail any actions taken to reduce the number of households with Full Duty Applicant status awaiting permanent accommodation, in the last 12 months.

Answer:

This issue is an operational matter for Northern Ireland Housing Executive; they have advised me as follows:

“Allocations were made to 5,943 applicants in the 12-month period 01/04/2025 – 31/03/2026 of which 5,683 were to applicants with Full Duty Applicant status. This equates to 95.6% of all allocations.

The Housing Executive continues to work closely with the Department for Communities, housing associations and other stakeholders to maximise the delivery of new social housing in line with the available budget. A total of 1,765 new social housing starts, and 1,538 new social housing completions were confirmed in the 2025/26 year. There are over 6,100 new social homes currently under construction across Northern Ireland.

The Homelessness Strategy 2022–27 sets out the Housing Executive’s commitment to prioritising homelessness prevention, focusing on providing the right support at the right time to avoid homelessness wherever possible. This approach is supported by the Homelessness Prevention Fund, which targets those at greatest risk of housing instability and supports early, practical interventions. Funding is directed toward initiatives that are most closely aligned with strategic prevention priorities and collaborative working.”