The Housing Supply Strategy

report housing The Housing Supply Strategy

A 15-year plan to deliver over 100,000 homes, including over 33,000 social homes, and address supply-related pressures in Northern Ireland has been further delayed, with no new timeline for publication.

Initially disrupted due to Covid-19, the delivery of a longterm framework aimed at delivering transformative change to tackle rising levels of homelessness and those in housing stress in Northern Ireland was initially planned for publication in March 2022, but the Department for Communities has now said that the absence of a functioning Executive or agreed budget means “options are under consideration”.

With preparatory work having begun in 2019, a draft Housing Supply Strategy has concluded consultation and a final strategy is awaiting ministerial sign off. However, drafted on the assumption that the Northern Ireland Executive would publish a multi year budget, questions have been raised over whether the ambitions of the strategy will be properly funded, in the absence of an agreed budget.

The draft Housing Supply Strategy sets out a vision that “everybody has access to a good quality, affordable and sustainable home that is appropriate for their needs and is located within a thriving and inclusive community”, acknowledging that the adoption of a whole-system approach can ensure inclusive transformation of supply.

While looking out over a 15-year period to 2037, the Department for Communities has said that it plans for a series of enabling action plans over one- to three-year periods.

Rising levels of homelessness, coupled with a social housing waiting list in excess of 45,000, the vast majority of which are in housing stress, has been compounded by inflationary pressures on supply, rising rents and an acknowledgement that current housing stock is not reflective of the changing needs of the population.

Long-standing and underpinning themes in the current housing supply challenge include rising demand in response to population change and the growth in the number of households; a decline in home ownership linked to a significant increase in private renting and a widening gap between new housing demand and the annual rate of construction.

While Northern Ireland’s housing stock has increased over the past two decades to over 814,000 homes, an annual rate of growth of 6,200 homes is significantly lower than prefinancial crash levels of 11,500. Projections show a growing and ageing population, meaning levels of housing construction not only need increased but must meet changing demand.

The draft Housing Supply Strategy is centred on five key objectives:

1. Creating affordable options

While working to better understand existing stock and demand changes, the Department says it will increase in supply across all tenures and establish “new intermediate products” to provide alternative options outside of what is currently available. Long-term interventions include addressing infrastructure constraints, land availability and skills gaps, while also optimising public and private finance.

In the short term, the Department says it will ring-fence

30,000

25,000

Increasing Housing Stress and Numbers Accepted as Homeless, 2002/03-2019/20

Number of applicants in Housing Stress as at 31 March each year and the number of Homeless acceptances each year

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10

Applicants in housing stress

Source: Department for Communities (DfC): Housing Statistics.

housing association grant funding to enable more social houses to be built, progress Housing Executive revitalisation, undertake an assessment of housing association powers and extend the scope of the current land registry for the public sector.

2. Prevention and intervention

On preventing homelessness, the Department acknowledges that delivery of new supply will go some way to addressing the demand of those most in need, however the draft strategy also outlines an ambition to progress a holistic approach to housing provision, recognising the importance of wraparound and support provision.

Alongside the ongoing work of the Housing Executive, the Department has indicated the desire to bring forward an interdepartmental Homelessness Action Plan and implement the 18 recommendations of the Review of the Common Selection Scheme, which looked at the current social housing allocations system.

3. Quality

Northern Ireland’s existing housing stock, particularly the private rented sector, face issues in relation to quality and it is acknowledged that the fitness standard in Northern Ireland is now lower than neighbouring jurisdictions.

While in itself a significant challenge, the need to decarbonise the housing stock offers an opportunity to ensure buildings are fit for the future. The Department has pledged to undertake a comprehensive review of fitness standards applicable for all tenures and suggests the potential creation of a new Homes Ombudsman with scope to assess improved building regulation standards and new home safety.

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16

Homeless acceptances 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20

4. Better places

Local council led community plans and their local development plans, are set to guide the housing design and provision. The Strategy recognises the need not just to build new homes and to protect existing supply but also to build and maintain the inclusive and cohesive places in which homes are located, while also acknowledging “the wider social and economic impacts and consequences of the segregation of housing here… and the benefits of creating more shared housing areas”.

Continuation of progress and support of the Shared Housing programme is outlined by the Department, as is further research on new approaches to place-making.

5. Decarbonisation

Alongside a range of other measures linked in to crossgovernment, climate focuses strategies, the Department says it plans to work with social and intermediate housing providers to ensure new build homes are net zero carbon by 2026/27.

Challengingly, delivery of the strategy’s objectives is based on a number of assumptions that the Executive will act to address significant barriers including the current infrastructure investment gap, planning reform and providing necessary funding for decarbonisation.

Whether the strategy, when delivered, will be successful will rely heavily on not only solving the current political impasses but also ensuring that adequate funding is made available to address the range of challenges facing housing supply.

The Department says that the Housing Supply Strategy will be delivered through a series of detailed action plans, each of which will align with budget periods.

Simon is 50 but the charity finds little cause for celebration

Simon Community NI’s Chief Executive Jim Dennison discusses the state of homelessness in Northern Ireland, innovative projects launched during the charity’s 50th year and the role Stormont must play in stopping a homelessness disaster.

From a handful of volunteers delivering soup to rough sleepers on the streets of Belfast, Simon Community NI has come a long way since it was established in 1971. Now with a workforce of over 380 passionate individuals, Northern Ireland’s leading and longest running homelessness charity currently supports up to 636 marginalised people each day across 26 accommodation projects and 13 community support services. Taking up the role of Chief Executive in 2014, Jim Dennison, a housing and community relations professional of over 20 years has witnessed the organisation adapt to an everevolving homelessness crisis.

“Acknowledging 50 years of providing homelessness shelter and support to our society’s most vulnerable is a massive achievement but a bittersweet milestone. On the one hand, we are extremely proud of the staff, volunteers and supporters who have helped us be there for those who needed our support over the years. However, on the other hand, we’re reluctant to refer to it as a celebration as the anniversary sadly highlights the fact that homelessness has been encouraged to run rampant throughout Northern Ireland for decades thanks to government failings, under resourcing, and siloed tactics.

“Isn’t it a shame that each year, thousands of people come through our doors at their lowest with nowhere else to turn to? And that on average around 1,000 households present as homelessness to the Housing Executive each month with over 40,000 sitting on social housing waiting lists for homes that may never come? And sadly, these figures don’t even include the 100,000 households estimated to be experiencing hidden homelessness. We are on the cusp of a homelessness disaster in Northern Ireland and I am worried decision makers are still thinking a temporary bandage is the solution.” The Covid catalyst

Dennison details that the Covid pandemic, whilst a challenging and worrying time for staff and clients at the charity, acted as a catalyst that brought about better partnership working, removed the constraints of bureaucracy and saw the homelessness sector, and Simon Community, advance at a speed and efficiency not witnessed in his eight years as Chief Executive.

“Rounding off our fourth decade with a global pandemic wasn’t ideal but we got through it. I saw colleagues, clients, funders, and partners committed to one thing, ensuring everyone in the country was in a safe and secure place to weather the storm. And as we began working around the new normal, the charity was able to explore newer ways to respond to and end homelessness.

“Launching the charity’s 50th anniversary at Stormont in October 2021, we used the high-profile event to showcase the charity’s future commitment to growing awareness, creating change, and responding to need. To date, we have launched bespoke homelessness services, welcomed new members to our ever-growing teams, lobbied for stronger government commitment, and released substantial research into Hidden Homelessness.”

At a time when growth for many organisations witnessed a pause, Simon Community entered its 50th year with the launch of a Women’s Advocacy project, roll-out of a Housing First for Youth service but most notably, the commitment from the charity to buy as well as manage 50 homes for people who

are homeless over the next two years. The charity already has purchased six homes with a seventh on the horizon.

“Our temporary accommodation services run at full occupancy and for every bed we have, we could fill it five times over such is the demand. Unfortunately, many of our clients are ready and able to live independently but are in limbo with few social home building projects in the pipeline and unaffordable private rents across the market. This is where Creating Homes can help by providing long-term move on homes in communities where people can flourish.” 2

3 for the Departments for Communities, Education, Health and Justice and require them to report annually to the Assembly;

the delivery of properly resourced, multiyear budgets for homelessness support services to facilitate long term funding decisions and to allocate needs assessed funding to flagship projects such as the Supporting People programme; and

increased housing supply through a combination of public asset initiatives, refurbishing vacant properties, a fully supported NIHE build programme, and incentivising private rented sector use.

Stormont must act

Ahead of this year’s Assembly elections, the charity met with representatives from across the major parties to lobby for three Programme for Government asks that will bring about meaningful change:

1 the delivery of a Homelessness Co-operation Bill to put inter-departmental co-operation to ending homelessness on a legislative footing “While we exist, Simon Community will always be a champion for the people we directly or indirectly support. You simply need to look at the most recent figures on homeless deaths here in Northern Ireland — 217 people over 12 months dying while experiencing homelessness. If one person on our roads died every other day, there would be a huge public outcry, a media campaign, resources across departments thrown at it. It’s this inequality that drives our charity. We do, and will continue to, ensure everyone experiencing homelessness is given a voice and treated with the dignity and support they are entitled to.”

Partner with Simon Community in its 50th year by visiting simoncommunity.org

T: 028 9023 2882

E. info@simoncommunity.org W: www.simoncommunity.org

Private Tenancies Bill

Passed before the cessation of the last Executive’s tenure, the Private Tenancies Act seeks to protect the rights of private tenants by limiting rent increases by once per year and extending notice to quit periods issued by landlords.

The Private Tenancies Bill, which passed through the final stage in the Assembly on 15 March 2022, took effect from 5 May and seeks to protect private tenants from sudden homelessness by adjusting minimum notice to quit periods served by landlords. Under the Act, private landlords must provide tenants with: four weeks’ notice if their tenancy has been in existence for less than 12 months; eight weeks’ notice if their tenancy has been in existence for more than 12 months but less than 10 years; and 12 weeks’ notice if the tenancy has been in existence longer than 10 years.

Tenants are also required to provide their landlords with written notice of their intention to quit with four weeks’ notice if their tenancy has been in existence less than 10 years and 12 weeks’ notice if it has been in existence for more than 10 years. Deposits for tenancies will be capped at one month’s rent under the Act and rent increases will be capped at once per 12 months, with landlords unable to increase rent within the first 12 months of a lease.

The Minister for Communities Deirdre Hargey MLA, said that the passage of the Bill would ensure “safety, security and standards within the private sector”. “Protecting tenants is a priority for me,” Hargey said. “I have consistently stated my determination to ensure all rents are fair and tenants are protected in their homes. I will ensure we build further on the rent controls already secured. This bill will deliver important protections with more reform to come.”

The Act will also introduce a minimum Energy Performance Certificate rating, which will mean that homes that do not reach an as-yet-undefined rating will not be allowed to be let out. This provision, which mirrors a similar rule in England and Wales, is included with the aim of tackling fuel poverty as it is hoped that higher energy efficiency ratings will mean that renters can better afford to heat these properties.

The Bill had been criticised by People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll as a “missed opportunity”. Carroll’s proposed amendment of a 10 per cent rent cut for every private renter in Northern Ireland originally passed an oral vote in the Assembly, before it was overturned. Hargey defended the Bill as the “beginning of private rented sector reform”: “I have laid the foundations and further work is a priority for the Department.”

Our carbon challenge

Barry Kerr, Apex’s Director of Development.

Apex Housing Association (Apex) says addressing global concerns about climate change and local concerns about fuel poverty are the prime factors behind its intention to have a decarbonisation strategy in place by March 2023.

Despite this strategy currently being a ‘work in progress’, Apex has already made moves towards reducing its carbon footprint and lowering heating bills for its tenants by piloting a nearly zero-energy approach (NZEB) in the construction of some of its new masonry homes being developed in Newtownabbey.

NZEB pilot in Newtownabbey

Construction on the site of the former Newtownabbey High School in Rathcoole has already begun and will see the former school grounds, which have been vacant since 2015, transformed into a thriving community of 76 houses and 35 apartments. The NZEB pilot project will see the construction of six homes with enhanced insulation and a variety of renewable energy options, to gauge what works best in practice for Apex and its tenants. Apex also has plans for a second pilot scheme on a timber frame development which will begin later this year.

Barry Kerr, Apex’s Director of Development, says Apex is committed to meeting the highest possible standards in relation to decarbonisation and energy efficiency:

“Over the next 30 years, our ambition is to virtually eliminate carbon emissions in our homes; bringing enormous benefits for tenants, communities, the economy and the environment. Energy efficiency standards will soon be enhanced within new building regulations, but we are working on the premise that all newbuild social housing will be required to meet the nearly zero-energy building standards in the next few years.

“We are one of the leading social housing providers in Northern Ireland and we recognise we play a significant role within the sector. The knowledge and experience we are building on NZEB standards is being shared through the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. This collaborative approach is vital as the decarbonisation task ahead of us can only be accomplished by working with government, tenants, our industry and wider society.”

New development in Newtownabbey

111 new homes will be built on the site of the former Newtownabbey High School site in Rathcoole. Of these, eight will be sold as affordable homes, with the remainder delivering much needed high-quality social housing.

Part of the site will provide homes for people over 55, featuring private balconies and access to a communal garden. The development will also have a new park at its core, helping to make it a vibrant and sustainable community.

If you would like to know more about Apex’s decarbonisation agenda or NZEB pilot projects, please phone 028 7130 4800 or email info@apex.org.uk