23 July 2024
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) has warned that proposed cuts to Department for Communities’ budget will have a knock-on effect across a number of sectors, including social housing.
Grainia Long, NIHE’s chief executive, said the lack of funding for new-build social housing will have a “significant impact” on construction jobs.
“It will take somewhere between 80 and 90 million pounds out of the construction industry,” she said.
Seamus Leheny, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations, said there is “a staggering gap” between the budget needed and what is available for the construction of homes.
“We commenced work on just shy of 1,500 new homes last year,” he told BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme, but said “we’ll do well to be able to finance the construction of 400” this year. The NIHE had hoped to build 2,000 new homes last year so with these cuts, NIHE faces falling short of their target for the second year in a row.
“So we’re facing really a 70% cut in the construction of new social homes right across Northern Ireland,” Mr Leheny said.
Other services “significantly” affected would include energy homelessness services, the Affordable Warmth Scheme, efficiency grants, supporting people, staff costs and services in emergency situations.
You can read the full BBC News article here.
