Minister for Social Development Margaret Ritchie today outlined her new Housing Agenda for Northern Ireland.
 In a wide ranging statement to the Assembly, the Minister announced a series of new measures to tackle the housing crisis across Northern Ireland.

Specifically it includes getting many more social houses built with existing resources than previously would have happened and developing many more mixed religion housing areas. The Minister also announced a £7m start for the Village area of Belfast.

She said: 
"To deliver a new Housing Agenda it was clear that I needed to deliver more innovative and imaginative solutions than ever before.



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"I am determined to tackle this crisis not simply manage it. That is why I took some time to research the issues and identify these solutions that will start to immediately address the affordability crisis of today and the lack of social housing for tomorrow."

The Minister outlined plans to build at least 5,250 in the next three years; make the existing co-ownership scheme more attractive for first time buyers including the immediate abolition of house value limits; bring forward proposals to establish a not for profit Mortgage Rescue Scheme and allow existing social housing tenants the chance to buy a stake in their homes.

Also Ms Ritchie delineated plans to bring empty homes back into use through the development of an Empty Homes Strategy; introduce a Developers Contribution requiring future developments to include a proportion of homes for social and affordable housing and a new code for sustainable housing and a new procurement strategy that will increase the energy efficiency of new social houses whilst driving costs down.

"I don't want to just build homes; I want to build better homes. More sustainable homes will lead to more sustainable communities. More shared future housing schemes are coming forward and this new housing agenda will help us realise our goal of a shared equal future."

(VB/JM)