Housing and Homelessness - from the NICVA Policy Manifesto
Posted by Feargal O'Kane on Feb 12 2007 under Housing and homelessness, Policy Manifesto |
Having a decent home is fundamental to personal wellbeing and social inclusion. It provides security, promotes health and gives a fi rm platform for creating social networks, capitalising on educational opportunities and securing employment.
In the 2003 Policy Manifesto a number of actions aimed at ensuring that everyone in Northern Ireland would have access to an adequate, affordable and accessible home were recommended. Three years on little has changed and indeed the level and nature of housing need and homelessness have continued to worsen, as follows:
- Last year (2005/06) 20,121 households presented as homeless.
- Homelessness in Northern Ireland has increased by 59% over the last six years (12,694 in 2000-01).
Northern Ireland has a high owner occupancy rate (currently at 72%) and this may continue to rise as 93% of all new builds last year were in the private sector. However owner occupation is not a viable option for everyone and as the average house price in Northern Ireland continues to rise (25% over the last year alone) there is a greater need for a mixed housing stock and well resourced supported accommodation. This cannot happen in the circumstances where social housing is sold off (Right to Buy) and is replaced at a lesser rate than sales and demolitions combined. In addition, ways need to be found of supporting those who now own homes and are at risk of losing them through fi nancial difficulties.
The provision of appropriate housing is not just about bricks and mortar, it has wider societal mpacts and is a key determinant in tackling many interconnected social problems. There must be a recognition that housing changes and shapes communities and the environment in Northern Ireland is changing at a fast pace, with private developments and second homes to the fore. The question remains, where do vulnerable people, including migrant workers, fi t into the current system and how can they be better supported to live independently?
We suggest that a Spend to Save argument is vital in the field of housing. Good housing, ensures health and wellbeing, prevents re-offending and provides a place for our children and young people to feel secure and to develop into active citizens.
Political parities and the Assembly should:
- Develop an overarching, comprehensive strategy for housing in Northern Ireland which encompasses all types of tenure.
- Accept and implement and resource the recommendations made in the Promoting Social Inclusion report into homelessness in Northern Ireland including ensuring a range of options for access to housing is available through social housing, the private rented sector, the owner-occupied sector and through equity sharing (co-ownership) to prevent homelessness.
- Review the decision to transfer the Supporting People function in the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to the proposed new Councils without undertaking any consultative exercises.
- Amend building regulations so that all new housing has design features to facilitate future adaptation work if/when residents encounter mobility problems.
- Review the model which estimates the level of need for new social housing and review the mechanisms currently in place to deliver social housing in Northern Ireland.
- Support the development of a system whereby a balance between the concerns of the communities and the right of vulnerable homeless groups to access accommodation in the community can be met.
- Fundamentally review the ‘House Sales Scheme’ (commonly known as the Right to Buy Scheme) to ensure an adequate supply of social housing lettings over the long term.
- Where appropriate encourage and develop the provision of an integrated approach to supported accommodation to aid vulnerable individuals back into communities.
- Government should establish an emergency rehousing fund to reimburse voluntary and community organisations which provide hostel places to those who are not entitled to government assistance with emergency accommodation.
- Amend legislation as necessary to ensure that community mix can be maintained indefinitely as envisaged in ‘A Shared Future.’
- Amend the Regional Development Strategy and/or Planning Policy Statement 12 to give more effective tools by which ‘mixed and balanced communities’ can be achieved with the help of land use planning.
- Introduce mandatory licensing of private landlords and a statutory scheme for the protection of rent deposits and dispute resolution.
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