Ritchie to the rescue with plan for 5,000 new homes

Local & National

Minister unveils detailed blueprint

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

By Noel McAdam

A detailed blueprint to tackle Northern Ireland's growing housing crisis was outlined to the Assembly today - including the construction of more than 5,000 new homes in the next three years.

Just days after her Budget share-out was confirmed, Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie told MLAs: "It's not just about houses - but better houses."

In a wide-ranging, detailed statement she said the housing crisis has been compounded by rising property values across the province.

But she argued that her "innovative" proposals will result in giving many more people the opportunity to get onto the first rung of the housing ladder, and also include:

¿ the province's first eco-village - in Enniskillen,

¿ many more mixed religion housing areas and,

¿ "all systems go" for the dilapidated Village area of Belfast.

Across Northern Ireland there are currently more than 38,000 people on the waiting list for social housing, with over 20,000 of them are assessed as being in 'housing stress' and 9,000 are officially 'homeless'.

In specific terms, Ms Ritchie said her "imaginative" programme will include getting many more social houses built with existing resources than previously would have happened.

"I am determined to tackle this crisis not simply manage it," the SDLP Minister stressed. "That is why I took some time to research the issues and identify these solutions that will start to immediately address the affordability crisis of today and the lack of social housing for tomorrow."

At the top of the agenda comes, as expected, the building of new homes - "at least" 5,250 in the next three years.

But in addition, the current co-ownership scheme is to be rendered more attractive for first time buyers, including the immediate abolition of house value limits.

And proposals will also be brought forward to establish a not-for-profit mortgage rescue scheme.

" I don't want to just build homes, I want to build better homes. More sustainable homes will lead to more sustainable communities," the Minister said.

And addressing concerns pinpointed by the Alliance Party, she went on: "More shared future housing schemes are coming forward and this new housing agenda will help us realise our goal of a shared equal future."

Ms Ritchie also unveiled details of schemes to allow existing social housing tenants the chance to buy a stake in their homes and to bring empty homes back into use through the development of an Empty Homes Strategy.

And both she and Environment Minister Arlene Foster are to introduce a Developers Contribution, requiring future housing schemes to include a proportion of homes for social and affordable housing.

There will also be a new code for sustainable housing and a new procurement strategy to increase the energy efficiency of new social houses while driving costs down.

As Assembly members prepared to question her plans, Ms Ritchie further outlined new plans for the former Grosvenor Barracks military base in Enniskillen, including Northern Ireland's first eco-village.

"My department will undertake a £40m regeneration project on the site of the former military base (and) build nearly 350 mixed tenure homes that will solve the social housing crisis in Enniskillen for the next five years," she said.

"As part of this development we will deliver the first eco-village in the north, introducing a new ethos in the design process, setting new standards of construction and bringing benefits to the environment and residents alike. "

The Minister also announced the go-ahead for work to begin in the Village area of Belfast where she said residents "have had to endure sub-standard housing for too long now".

"I gave them my word that I would not forget them and now that my budget has been finalised I am delighted to have been able to set aside substantial resources for work to begin in the area," she said.

"I am impatient for progress. I want to see the actions and initiatives I have outlined today start to deliver us from this housing crisis sooner rather than later. This new housing agenda will deliver more social, more affordable, more energy efficient and more sustainable homes.

" But most of all I want it to deliver opportunity and choice for those who currently have little, and hope for those who have none."

It is now almost a year since Sir John Semple published his Review into Affordable Housing, which included 80 recommendations and Ms Ritchie has drawn up an implementation plan which still has to be ratified by the full Executive.