Top of the list is the need for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) to demand a new deal to fund housing projects. In her welcome, Chief Executive Grainia Long and Minister Gordon Lyons identify these urgent challenges. The collaborative organization engages frequently with each of the various Stormont departments. At the same time, almost 50,000 applicants languish on the social housing waiting list, underscoring a pressing need.
Gordon Lyons has previously suggested that granting borrowing powers to the Housing Executive could be a viable method to enhance housing supply. In his remarks, he conveyed his impatience at the continuing hair splitting over definitions and other arguments with the Treasury. He says they’re simply “going round in circles.” Lyons put the focus on addressing the root issues during such negotiations. He highlighted what he considers an unjustified hold-up.
A key part of this continuing conversation has been the call for “clear reassurance” from the UK government. This confirmation is critical in order to be sure that any plans we propose will actually comply with Treasury regulations. Grainia Long and other centrally located officials are confident that their planned approach will fit within the new rules. Such compliance would allow the Housing Executive to function much like public housing authorities elsewhere in the UK.
Long underscored the plan’s transformative potential. He called it a “massive game changer” for capital funding to build new homes and rehabilitate old facilities. She noted, “A change to borrowing arrangements for the Housing Executive, along with sustainable rents, would enable us to invest more in our current homes and, eventually, to build new housing.”
The need for a more effective strategy in delivering social housing was echoed by Seamus Leheny of the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations. He called for a “smarter way” as the key to addressing the increasing need for social housing across the state. Leheny highlighted the importance of a model that integrates both private finance and public funding, which has proven successful when adequately supported by the government.
Justin Cartwright made the point that we needed to continue to exert pressure on HM Treasury at every opportunity. Concurrently, he called on stakeholders to use local policy tools to their fullest potential. Cartwright stated, “Securing borrowing powers is only viable if NIHE has a sustainable financial model to back it up.” In his comments, he stressed the importance of sustainable rents. These rents need to be low enough for tenants to afford while producing sufficient long-term revenue to invest in and maintain homes.
To that, Long added the urgent aspect that’s at stake for tenants who experience survivable conditions that need to be urgently addressed. She remarked, “This is a crucial issue for our tenants whose homes urgently need to be improved.” The call to action underscores the urgency that stakeholders in Northern Ireland feel, in their quest to address growing housing issues in the region.
