Margaret Ritchie meets Jim Shannon MLA to discuss social housing

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA today met Jim Shannon MLA to discuss social and affordable issues in his Ards Constituency.

Mr Shannon sought the meeting to directly put his concerns about the growing numbers of people in housing stress in the area.

The Minister said: “Social housing is one of my top priorities and I am determined to see waiting lists fall. I am on record as saying that I inherited an inadequate budget and will be doing everything in my power to secure increased funding to build more social housing.”

She confirmed that some 600 new homes are planned for the Ards area, over the next five years. A total of 140 are programmed to start in the current year.

The Minister said: “Securing land for houses in the social house building programme is a continuing problem, partly because of intense competition from the private sector. Since coming to office I have put in place a number of initiatives to try to ensure that planned programmes can go ahead. My Department is notified of every instance where land is declared surplus by other public bodies.

“Where housing need is confirmed, we are pro-active in securing that land for social housing. Northern Ireland wide, I am having success in securing redundant military and police bases. I have also initiated audits within my own Department and the Housing Executive to identify land that might be used for housing and have asked Ministerial colleagues to do the same within their own Departments.

"In addition, I have asked the Housing Executive to produce an empty homes strategy to see how we can bring some of the Province’s empty homes back into use. I am hopeful that additional land and housing will become available as a result.”

The Minister went on to say that she had set up an Inter-Departmental Group which was now considering the recommendations from the Semple Review into Affordable Housing.

She said: “Sir John Semple has made 80 recommendations which will assist the delivery of social and affordable housing. Mr Shannon raised the problems of planning delay and while that is the responsibility of another Minister, I can say that changes to the planning process are amongst the proposals currently under discussion.”