NIFHA Press Room
£50m is good news for social housing.
Tuesday 15 January 2008
The Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations (NIFHA) is delighted with the Minister for Finance and Personnel, Peter Robinson’s, statement that he has allocated almost £50m for a range of social housing initiatives. Both Co-ownership and the Social Housing Development Programme are set to benefit from this cash injection.“This boost to social housing is much needed.”, commented NIFHA’s Chief Executive, Chris Williamson. “Co-ownership and the Social Housing Development Programme were facing a bleak end to the budget year 2007-08. This extra cash will provide much needed assistance to help build homes and assist people in taking their first steps on the property ladder.”
However, he went on to warn: “Unfortunately, this measure will not relieve the crisis facing the Social Housing Development Programme and Co-ownership in 2008-09 and beyond. To avoid both grinding to a halt in the next 12 months, we need much more cash in the budget for 2008-09. There is simply not enough capital allocation in the draft budget to turn Sir John Semple’s recommendation of building at least 10,000 new homes over the next five years into reality. A further worrying consequence of the draft budget’s figures is that NI Co-ownership Housing Association will be unable to help enough households into partial home ownership.”
-Ends-
Notes to Editor
For further information contact:
Chris Williamson, Chief Executive
T: 028 9023 0446 E: cwilliamson@nifha.orgM: 078 6646 6119.
NIFHA’s response to the Draft Programme for Government; the Draft Budget for 2008-2011; and the Draft Investment Strategy 2008-2018 may be viewed on NIFHA’s website.
About NIFHA
- NIFHA is the umbrella organisation promoting, representing and supporting the activities of the 36 registered and 7 of the non-registered Housing Associations in Northern Ireland
- Registered housing associations provide over 30,000 units of accommodation - a quarter all social rented housing in NI
- Since 1998 registered Housing Associations have provided virtually of all new social housing in NI
- The private finance registered Housing Associations attracted between 1996 and 2006 resulted in an additional 4,500 homes for social accommodation
- Co-Ownership Housing has helped almost 19,000 households to purchase their own homes since its inception
- 1991-2006 registered housing associations levered £180 million private capital into social housing
