ARDS and North Down is gripped in a ‘housing crisis’ with demand for social housing and private rentals far ‘outstripping’ supply.
According to Housing Executive statistics shared at a Housing Hub event this week, there was a total of 3,348 people on the borough’s housing waiting list in March earlier this year.
Of this figure, 1,145 people presented as homeless over the year; 852 people met the legal right to be housed, with 365 placements made to temporary accommodation in Ards and North Down during 2024/25.
The three main groups that were presenting as homeless in the borough were families, pensioners and single men aged between 26 to 59 years old.
The Executive has stated that the three most common reasons for local people becoming homeless are the accommodation is not suitable for their needs, there is a breakdown of sharing and domestic abuse.
Further statistics presented to the Housing Hub event from the Housing Rights charity stated that the average cost for a private rental property in the borough was £987 per month, with an average of 73 people enquiring about each rental property.
Catherine Carey, the Housing Executive homelessness strategy manager, stressed the severity of the current housing shortage.
“We are in a housing crisis. The demand for social housing outstrips supply and as of March 31 there were 32,000 households on a waiting list (in Northern Ireland) who are classed as statutory homeless.
“This could be because people are in accommodation that is not suitable for their needs; it could be that they are in a private rental and have been given notice to quit, or it might be that somebody has been asked to leave by a family member or a friend, there are a whole range of factors.
“We currently have over 49,000 households in Northern Ireland who are on the housing waiting list and 32,000 of those are considered as statutory homeless.”
Ms Carey explained the definition of homelessness saying: “Homelessness is not just seeing someone on the street, it can be someone living in accommodation that is not suitable for their needs or it is not safe for them to remain in their accommodation.
“It goes beyond someone sitting outside with a sleeping bag. People need to understand we are in a housing crisis in Northern Ireland and the Housing Executive is no longer building social housing.
“We are hoping to have a revitalisation of the Housing Executive (that will allow them) to borrow funds to rebuild social housing stock in Northern Ireland to meet demand.”
Ms Carey said this revitalisation was one of the proposals considered in the Department for Communities’ Housing Supply Strategy for 2024 to 2039.
She stressed the importance of the Housing Hub event for local residents: “It is important that the community understands what help and support is available.
“We have worked with North Down Community Network to create the hub with all the statutory and community agencies, so the public can come and speak to us and get the right advice.”
The housing hub event was organised to coincide with Homelessness Awareness Week which runs to Sunday, December 7, with the aim of raising awareness of the reality of homelessness across Northern Ireland.
Organised by Homeless Connect, the annual event incorporates a week of social, educational and awareness events aimed at raising awareness of the reality of homelessness In Northern Ireland.
This year’s theme is ‘See The Person’ which reflects the importance of recognising the individuality, dignity and humanity of people experiencing homelessness.
