A modest rise in the number of homes in Northern Ireland has been reported in the new Statistics Annual.

The Northern Ireland Housing Statistics Annual, detailing recent trends in housing in the province, was published by the Department for Social Development last week.

Among the key findings for 2010-11 was news on housing stock that showed there were approximately 758,600 dwellings in Northern Ireland on 31 March 2011, a rise of 6,900 (0.9%) on March 2010.

Owner-occupied dwellings accounted for 479,200 (67.5%) of the total occupied stock (709,900 dwellings).

The data also showed that construction output for Private Sector new housing was 34.7% lower in April - June 2011 (£129.1 million) than for the same period in 2010 (£197.7 million).

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On planning applications and new dwelling starts for 2010-11 there were 10,383 residential planning applications granted, a decrease of 27.1% on 2009-10 period. 8,017 new dwellings were started during 2010-11, of which 73.8% were commissioned by the private sector alone.

With the total number of dwellings sold by Northern Ireland Housing Executive in 2010-11 (284) similar to the previous year’s figure of 285.

Data for new house sales and prices are derived from transactions for new private sector and housing association dwellings notified by solicitors to the National House Building Council (NHBC).

Produced annually by the Analytical Services Unit of the Department for Social Development, the publication outlines information on housing stock, housing market activity, the NIHE and Housing Associations, and the private rented sector.

Details of housing starts and completions for the private sector are supplied by Local Authority Building Control, Local Government Districts and for the social rented sector by NIHE and the Housing Associations Branch of the Department for Social Development. However, data relating to private dwelling starts and completions was not available from Newry and Mourne Local Government District due to IT issues.

This was the case between quarter April 2007 and March 2010. Therefore data for private dwelling starts and completions between those dates are not directly comparable to previous figures and figures since.

(HMcE/CD)