SDLP Social Justice Spokesperson, Nichola Mallon MLA, has welcomed an agreement made between Radius Housing and Barclays that will see £50 million of funding used to tackle housing shortages in areas of high demand in Northern Ireland.

The partnership aims to boost both the housing and construction sectors, as well as to provide 800 homes for those in housing need by 2020.

The MLA for North Belfast said: "Given the uncertainty around Brexit that may prevent Housing Associations from accessing funds from the European Investment bank, partnerships like this are an innovative way to circumvent loss of funding streams.

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"Whilst these funds are a welcome investment into the creation of social housing new builds, these funds alone do not provide cause enough to celebrate.

"As long as 40,000 families continue to sit on the social housing waiting list, we cannot allow ourselves to become contented with solely relying upon these types of funding methods whilst 39,200 families wait hopelessly on a place to call home.

"Instead what we need is a robust 20-year Housing Strategy led by a Minister that can channel funding consistently and considerately into tackling housing shortages on a mass scale."

(MH/LM)