AQW 53540/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 01/10/2026
Answered On Date: 12/10/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities whether his Department plans to prioritise homelessness prevention programmes within future budget allocations for homelessness services.

Answer:

I continue to prioritise homelessness prevention within my funding decisions.

In 2025/26, in addition to the £4.3m available for community prevention activity, I introduced a ringfenced allocation of £2.5m for strategic homelessness prevention.

While no Executive Budget has been agreed for 2026/27, interim allocations have been issued to delivery partners, including the Housing Executive, to support the continuation of key programmes and services. This includes a ringfenced allocation for Strategic Prevention which has been maintained, as well as funding for Community Prevention and Support Initiatives which has been protected at 2025/26 levels.

I also circulated an Executive paper seeking additional funding to ensure homelessness services, including community and strategic prevention initiatives can be adequately and sustainably funded. Disappointingly, this has not yet been agreed.