Sinn Féin MLA For West Belfast, Fra McCann, has welcomed the move to develop a housing strategy for the north.

The MLA said departmental officials delivered a presentation on a proposed housing strategy. Mr McCann said he hoped this strategy would not go the same way that previous attempts to develop a strategy in the past has gone.

Mr McCann said: "We now have an opportunity to develop an integrated strategy for all elements of the housing sector but we need the commitment from the department and the minister to make this a reality. This strategy document contains six main themes and the department hopes to add flesh to the bones of these themes.

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"I have voiced concerns saying unless the review of the future of the Housing Executive, the future of housing associations and the private rented sector, a sector who now provide the largest amount of houses for rent and receives £100,000,000, are encompassed in any strategy from the beginning then the strategy is going nowhere. We need to ensure we are not putting the cart before the horse. The future of housing is much too important an issue not to get right from the outset."

(CD/GK)