NIFHA Press Room
NIFHA response to NIAO Report
Wednesday 7 July 2010
The Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations (NIFHA), together with its members, is committed to ensuring the delivery of high quality, affordable homes for people in Northern Ireland.By working in partnership with the Department for Social Development (DSD) and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) our members exceeded the target for building new homes during the financial year by starting 1,838 units in 2009-10. These homes are delivered to exceptional quality standards and service. In addition Co-Ownership Housing had a total of 500 properties in contract to purchase for the year, meanwhile their total stair-casing cases was 187.
After a rigorous first round inspection of our association members by the DSD, during the years 2005 to 2009, some criticism of housing association procedural issues was levied against fourteen associations. In the five year period since those inspections began, all members concerned have produced action plans to resolve this situation. The ongoing implementation of those plans has resulted in improvements.
Where problems were highlighted, NIFHA worked closely with the DSD to address these issues through a programme of seminars, sharing the main learning points across the movement and providing one-to-one support for member associations. This focused on processes and procedures which formed most of the points raised by the inspection. There was no indication at any time that the 30,000 tenants involved were unhappy with the overall service provided by associations, in fact feedback from tenants suggests otherwise.
Good practice methods have been shared throughout the movement, NIFHA providing the conduit and support for those associations wishing to return to developing has been given. There has also been considerable inter-association support.
Under property development it should be acknowledged that in 2009-10, where £155m in grant aid was received as noted in the audit report, housing associations over-performed in providing new homes and maintained the highest standards in delivering the social housing programme for Northern Ireland. In undertaking this development work NIFHA’s member associations supplemented government funding with significant private finance. Collectively Housing Associations have contributed over £350 million to assist with social house building since 1991.
Ends
Further Information
Lucinda McMurran
T 028 9023 0446
E: lmcmurran@nifha.org
