The Social Development Minister has been called to establish an "urgent" programme of house building after in Strabane, Co Tyrone, after the SDLP revealed many of the people in the area are living in "housing stress".

SDLP West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan said he will continue to press Minister Lord Morrow to provide a baseline level of housing that meets the growing need in Strabane.

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Mr McCrossan said: "The latest figures show that there are 437 people on the housing waiting list in Strabane, over half of whom are in housing stress. It is unacceptable to me that we have so many people desperate for adequate housing and yet we aren’t building the houses we need to support them.

"I've asked questions in the Assembly about the supply of new build social housing and it continues to fall short of what's clearly needed.

"When the SDLP held the Housing portfolio, we ensured that more social housing was built than ever before. That spirit of ambition is needed again."

(CD)