Vow to fight for social housing

The Housing Executive’s strategy is to work together to get results, Ian McCrickard, Area Manager told Craigavon councillors when he met them at the recent monthly meeting to discuss their District Housing Plan.

He said: “We all know how the recession has affected the housing market and the fall in the sale of Housing Executive homes has had a significant impact on our funding.

"Faced with this, the priority is to direct resources towards housing for vulnerable people and those without a home of their own. Last year we recorded 1,838 new social housing starts throughout Northern Ireland; the highest number in over a decade. It is an encouraging start but it is only the beginning.

“Government plans require us to make substantial and unprecedented savings, which will impact on all aspects of our business as well as our resources. The compelling challenge for the Housing Executive is to work with our colleagues in the DSD to secure a sound financial footing for housing funding. However, at the same time, we must be realistic in our expectations and what we can hope to deliver."

Last year the Housing Executive spent over 3.8 million on improvements and planned maintenance to Housing Executive homes in Craigavon and invested 2.3 million to assist vulnerable people through the Supporting People programme.

There are currently 30 supported housing accommodation-based schemes in the area and three floating support providers. The executive has provided over 2.9 million in grant aid to improve housing conditions in the private sector, invested 956,000 to adapt 122 Housing Executive homes in the area and worked with 30 community groups in the area.