Social housing: Man told 'no point' in applying as demand surges

Rodney Jackson has been homeless for 18 months

A father who became homeless 18 months ago has said he could be on a waiting list for a social home near his children on the north coast for years.

Rodney Jackson has been staying with friends and relatives since his relationship ended.

He said he had been told there was "no point in applying for a house in Portstewart or Portrush because there's so few of them around".

The Housing Executive (NIHE) said lists had increased across Northern Ireland.

"My children live on the north coast as well and obviously I wouldn't want to move away," Mr Jackson told BBC News NI.

"There are so many people on the waiting list in that area."

Official figures showed the number of people on a waiting list for social housing in the Causeway Coast and Glens council area rose by 69% in four and a half years.

NIHE had 2,068 applicants on waiting lists in the area in March 2017.

That rose to 3,496 in September 2021.

The Housing Executive said there had been a 20% increase in applicants for social housing overall

The figures showed the number of people deemed homeless in the district rose by more than a third and there are now 42% more people in housing stress since 2017.

Housing stress is a situation where the cost of housing is high relative to household income.

"I don't meet the priority so basically I was told I would go on the waiting list, but with very few points and with very little hope of finding a house," Mr Jackson said:

"That leaves you in a situation looking for private housing and it's so expensive… even at that, there's not a lot of that around.

"There are so many people trying to bid for one house."

NIHE said it had contacted Mr Jackson for his annual review in February and that he may be entitled to additional points when reassessed.

"The applicant is on the waiting list for single-bed accommodation in two areas of housing in Coleraine, however, as part of the annual assessment we will discuss wider areas of housing choice at that stage," the organisation outlined," a spokesperson said.

"He has been offered temporary accommodation, but he has chosen to make his own arrangements."

'Pandemic made situation worse'

NIHE said there had been a 20% increase in applicants for Northern Ireland social housing as a whole between March 2017 and September 2021.

There had also been a 32% increase in housing stress applicants and a 43% increase in full-duty applicants or those deemed homeless.

Chief executive of the charity Homeless Connect, Nicola McCrudden, said the "homelessness and housing crisis" was "directly related to the shortage of affordable, social housing".

"In some cases people are waiting several years to actually get a home, the pandemic has made the situation much worse," she explained.

"We're seeing increasing numbers in people needing temporary accommodation.

"We're very concerned about the future because we think there's increasing risk in people presenting as homeless because of the rising cost of living and the difficulties in people heating their homes and feeding themselves."

The Department for Communities said its minister, Deirdre Hargey, was "acutely aware of the demands on our housing system".

Deirdre Hargey has previously announced plans to build 100,000 new homes over a 15-year period

"She is progressing the biggest reform of social housing in more than 50 years," a spokesperson said.

"This includes building more homes where they are needed. Having delivered the highest annual figure of new social home starts for over a decade, the minister has also increased funding for the new build programme."

In December, Ms Hargey announced plans for more than 100,000 homes over a 15-year period as she launched her draft Housing Supply Strategy for consultation.

"The minister wants at least a third of these homes to be social homes, of high quality and to meet a wide range of needs," the department added.

NIHE said 155 social housing units were under construction in the Causeway Coast and Glens area and that 363 units were planned in the next three years.