Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has called on housing professionals to work together to deliver affordable and social housing for future generations.

Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Conference – Risk and Resilience The Future for Housing Finance and Investment, Minister McCausland said: "Housing has a significant role to play in helping support and sustain economic recovery, creating employment and helping to regenerate some of our most deprived and neglected communities.

"We will all need to challenge ourselves to think and act differently, find new ways of working together and innovative approaches to address the challenge and make the most of the opportunities. We must be ready to generate innovative solutions to the problems we face in delivering new housing supply and stabilising the housing market in Northern Ireland. Innovation must be at the forefront of our minds not only for the physical product of housing units, but also in how we approach the way in which we finance that product.

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"I recently sought views on Northern Ireland's first housing strategy, Facing the Future. This set out my vision for housing over the next five years with the aim of ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access good quality housing at a reasonable cost. I realise that the economic climate has presented challenges for us all. Facing these challenges require leadership, real commitment and effective partnership.

"I and my Ministerial colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive will continue to engage with the UK Government in order to secure as many of the necessary resources as possible. For the housing sector, the challenge will be to generate the innovative solutions and be able to deliver quickly in response to any opportunities that may arise."

(CD/MH)