NI Housing Executive rent freeze means 'one less thing to worry about'

Liam Wiggins has lived in a housing executive flat in the New Lodge area of Belfast for 12 years

The rent freeze for Northern Ireland Housing Executive properties "must be seen as a good thing", a Belfast tenant says.

Stormont's communities minister announced on Wednesday she was freezing rents for the coming 2022-23 financial year.

Deirdre Hargey says it is to support residents during the "cost-of-living crisis".

The Housing Executive manages about 85,000 homes in Northern Ireland.

Liam Wiggins has lived in a housing executive flat in the New Lodge area of Belfast for 12 years.

He said that with the cost of living generally becoming more expensive, any freeze should be welcomed.

"You go into the supermarket and small increases add up - a penny here, a penny there," he said.

"It might not be a big difference but it's not going up.

"If the Housing Executive rent was to go up by £10 a month even, to some people that's a massive difference - it's the difference between saying yes and no to something."

'It's a good thing'

Mr Wiggins said while his rent was not too high, others in the area can pay up to £130 a week.

"That's nearly a mortgage," he said. "Social housing was introduced to provide affordable housing.

"So for many this (rent freeze) is one less thing to worry about. It's a good thing."

Several utilities firms have announced large price increases in recent months, putting pressure on household finances.

Deirdre Hargey said she wanted to support residents who were facing soaring fuel and household bills

Some companies have increased gas and electricity tariffs for domestic customers several times over the past year.

The cost of food, petrol and other essentials has also gone up and over the course of 2021 inflation rose to 5.4%.

Ms Hargey said she took the decision to prevent "any further financial burden on individuals and families trying hard each day to make ends meet".

"As communities minister my priority is to support people, particularly the most vulnerable, who are facing soaring fuel and household bills," she said.

"Right now, tenants need security and a freeze in their rents will provide a bit of stability on an important housing cost in an uncertain climate."

What about housing association rents?

Heather Graham lives in a property in Bangor which is run by a housing association and will not benefit from the rent freeze.

She says the announcement for housing executive tenants is "unfair" and feels other low-income households are being left out.

"I would prefer to be living in a Housing Executive house but unfortunately that (housing association) is what I got," Ms Graham said.

"A place in the Housing Executive is nearly half of what I pay and I still have to pay for the increase in heating costs and food.

"I also live on my own so I have to do it all with a low income."

Heather Graham says she lives alone and struggles with the cost of living due to rising fuel and electricity costs

Ms Graham said people living in the private sector are also struggling with the cost of living.

"I'm just living and there's no spare money," she said.

"I'm paying an extra £10-20 for fuel, gas and electric than I normally would and then there's food shopping and food for my cat.

"I don't get help from the government and I wasn't eligible for the winter fuel payment after Christmas."

The Housing Executive is a non-departmental public body but it is subject to the overall direction and control of the minister for communities.

The minister does not have control over independent social housing providers, but she has asked housing associations to consider the financial pressures tenants are facing when setting next year's rent.