APPENDIX 5
Memorandum submitted by the Housing Policy
Review Group
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CURRENT HOUSING PROVISION
IN NORTHERN IRELAND, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON SOCIAL HOUSING
1. THE RISING
DEMAND FOR
SOCIAL HOUSING
Key Points
— Increase in number of households
in Northern Ireland:
— 1991 Census: 530,369 households
— 2001 Census: 626,717 households
— Population growth (including
increase in number of younger people and people living longer).
— Lower household size due to marital/relationship
breakdown and increase in number of single adult households.
— Increase in property prices in the
owner-occupier market. The average Northern Ireland house price
in the third quarter of:
(Source: Nationwide Building Society)
— Traditionally low Private Rented
Sector in Northern Ireland.
— At 6.3%, unemployment remains relatively
high in Northern Ireland. This is exacerbated by an increase in
low-paid, fixed term contracts for the employed population.
— Northern Ireland has a relatively
high population who are dependent on benefits, for example:
— 21% of all households are composed
of retired people.
— 14% of households are dependent
on sickness or disability benefits.
— 28.4% of the adult population
is economically inactive.
All of these factors have culminated in an increasing
waiting list for social housing (in March, 2003, the number of
households on the waiting list was over 40,000) and increasing
trend in homelessness (during 2002-03, over 16,000 households
presented as homeless to NIHE).
2. THE CONTINUING
DECLINE IN
THE SUPPLY
OF SOCIAL
HOUSING
Key Points
— Current calculation for social housing
(net stock model) is too low. We welcome the work being undertaken
to review this calculation.
— Impact of house sales scheme.
— Loss of stock through demolition
or voids. Social housing voids within Northern Ireland tend to
be located in community interface areas.
— Processes including planning and
approval for new build tend to be overly bureaucratic. This impacts
on the ability to deliver on the target set by the net stock model.
— Acquisition of land also impacts
on the point above.
3. THE QUALITY
OF HOUSING
STOCK
Key Points
— Poor quality/unfit housing tends
to be privately owned.
— However, there is a need to increase
TCI level of 1% add-on to meet lifetime home standards and to
continue to improve on energy efficiency and community safety
initiatives.
19 March 2004
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