NI election issues guide: Housing
- Published
Northern Ireland goes to the polls on 5 May to elect a new assembly. Browse the parties' key housing priorities below:
Commission a landmark shared housing review of housing provision in Northern Ireland undertaken by a commission of experts to produce detailed recommendations by 2017
Develop an empty homes strategy to bring derelict and unused properties back onto the market using legislative proposals and a sustainable funding model to allow revenue from houses brought back into use to be allocated to future houses
Support legislation to improve the regulation of the private rented sector, focusing on increasing security of tenure, improving standards in poorer homes and reducing up-front fees
Aim to eradicate homelessness and facilitate multi-agency working to meet this target
Commit to delivering 8,000 social and affordable housing units by 2020
Reintroduce a 'living over the shops' scheme
Introduce community land trusts that places land in trust and removes it from the cost of the home. Selling prices are linked to incomes which allows appreciation of the asset but keeps any resale price at an accessible level
Support the transformation of the Housing Executive (NIHE) to a strategic housing body, including the transfer of its stock to fully utilise assets to make social housing more self-funding. Give NIHE additional powers to tackle the issue of empty homes
Campaign for better energy efficient housing
Meet housing need and tackle homelessness through incentivising the building of 2,000 units of energy efficient social housing a year to meet lifelong living needs
Continue to oppose the bedroom tax
Abolish the priority need category for homeless applicants so that every homeless person can seek help
Retain the Housing Executive as the regional housing body and give it the power to build
Raise additional finance for social housing through a derelict land tax and developer contributions
Develop a new homelessness strategy which ensures that rough sleeping is tackled
Protect Supporting People budget to help people live independently in their own home
The provision of social housing should be doubled which would meet the needs of our communities and provide a significant boost to our construction industry
Tackle segregation with shared future and new build housing schemes as well as shared neighbourhood strategies in existing developments
Ensure that the desire to live in a mixed area is properly recognised and facilitated
Introduce a new homelessness strategy, aimed at helping those who are homeless and protecting those at risk of homelessness
Social housing is vital in any society and demands adequate investment. A safe and warm home has huge benefits, not least when it comes to health
Wholesale transfer of public housing stock to housing associations, which habitually charge higher rents, is not advisable
With the growth of housing associations there is an urgent need for an independent housing regulator, who would control rents
Political meddling in housing, such as the attempt to coerce the NIHE board over the Red Sky scandal, is not healthy
Build homes and communities that people actively want to live in
A review of future housing demand so that the current shortage of housing development is tackled
Introduce a mortgage-relief scheme to support people under financial stress
Increase the development of mixed tenure communities with people in owner occupied, privately rented and social rented properties all living beside each other
UKIP are critical of the appalling lack of affordable homes available to buy or rent
Press for a minimum 500 homes to be built in the public sector in each constituency over the next five years
Extend the greenbelt and prioritise brown field sites for urgent private development of affordable homes for young families and pensioners
Fight for more suitable homes for older and disabled people and will push for home adaptions for the needs of disabled people
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Parties listed alphabetically