Margaret Ritchie, Minister for Social Development has delivered the keynote speech at a seminar to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Ulidia Housing Association.

The Minister congratulated Ulidia for opening the first Shared Future project at Carran Crescent, Enniskillen, in conjunction with the Housing Executive

Shared Future is where people of all ethnic backgrounds can live, work, learn and play together.

The Minister said: "Ulidia Housing Association has shown much foresight and expertise in helping bring our community to the point it is at today."

In commenting about the delivery of social housing the Minister said: "We do have problems and I am the first to acknowledge that there are still too many people on the waiting list and living in unacceptable conditions.

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"These issues did not arise overnight and I cannot solve them overnight but I am determined to make a start. I need the help of everyone involved in the housing effort to find ways to be as responsive as we can to the needs of the communities we serve. In particular, the draft budget as it stands contains a massive 63% shortfall in capital to meet housing need. I am determined though to leave no stone unturned in both seeking to increase the budget and raise capital by alternative means."

In congratulating Ulidia on 30 years in housing, the Minister paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of the Association.

Ulidia began as a lobbying group and it registered as a housing association in 1977. It now has a stock of around 800 units throughout Northern Ireland.

Although the Association initially built solely for lone parents it subsequently developed a number of partnership arrangements with other voluntary organisations involved in supported housing such as Women's Aid, the Simon Community, Edward Street Hostel, Craigavon & Banbridge Health and Social Services Trust. Although Ulidia's roots are in the provision of supported housing the Association is now also a major provider of general family housing.

(GK/JM)